What Makes YOU Feel Better?

That may be a bit of a trick question—it’s often difficult to know.

Some of my days are better than others but I often don’t know why (you probably experience something similar). But there are a few things I can pinpoint that do make a difference for me.

1 It almost always helps to get enough sleep. And enough keeps becoming more.

2 Going for a walk, stacking fireplace wood, or other physical exercise almost always increases my energy level.

3 Spending time with kids and grandkids is great—most of the time.

4 Going places I haven’t been before is always a positive experience. No, I’m not talking about Emergency Hospitals or Urgent Care Centers.

5 Sunshine seems to be a major uplifting experience in my life. I love summers (when the sun shines in Oregon) and try to spend a couple of months in Arizona in the winter.

I have control over almost everything on this list. Some of these things are mostly physical (like exercise) and others are mostly emotional (like spoiling grandkids). There is probably some crossover in all of them.

How I feel doesn’t seem to have much to do with my prostate cancer treatment and medications. That’s like a separate reality. Side effects are often obvious but I consider them a trade-off for medical benefits. The drugs work on my inside and the only way I know what they’re doing is to look at my test results. Then I feel better or worse depending on the numbers and levels. Three months from now the results could be a lot different. I can’t directly control these things so I try not to think about them too much.

If you have prostate cancer or another cancer, what makes YOU feel better? Do you know why?

axman