THE POSITIVE PROFESSOR
SOCIAL media’s voice of calm Karol Sikora has been signed up by the Daily Express. Readers can now enjoy his soothing advice in these troubled times that have won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.
BEING diagnosed with cancer is undoubtedly one of the hardest moments a person can go through.
I’ve experienced that conversation from an oncologist’s point of view thousands and thousands of times, and there are no words to describe it. It has not got any easier over all of these years.
A person can feel helpless, even embarrassed. “Why has this happened to me?” Often there is no rhyme or reason, cancer is a relentless disease which we do not fully understand.
Regaining a sense of control and purpose is an effective way to help somebody deal with a diagnosis and the following treatment.
I am a big believer in empowering the patient – it both educates the person on how best they can deal with it but also restores a belief that they can control their own destiny. That fosters a more positive mindset which is infinitely more productive than the alternative.
An improved diet and healthier lifestyle is the most common way a person takes back control. It can help with physical side-effects during cancer treatment and improve a patient’s mental health.
Chemotherapy in particular is brutal for the body, so ensuring a patient is eating correctly is vital. An initiative I’m involved in called “Woktober” is all about raising awareness about a cancer patient’s diet in a fun and engaging way – through cooking in a wok! This year I made a delicious pork dish, narrowly beating last year’s prawn effort.
If you, or someone you know, has received a cancer diagnosis I would strongly recommend following John Hanley@Chemocookery, who is running the event.
Having cancer can seem hopeless but there are ways to feel like you are regaining control – transforming your diet and lifestyle is a fantastic way of doing so.