The Mercury News

12 breast cancer apps to nourish mind, body and soul

- By Andy Coffaro

Today’s smartphone­s can do so much more than just request food to your doorstep or transporta­tion around town. These devices feature apps that can help you with early breast cancer detection, reminders of the medication­s you need to take, and emotional fulfillmen­t through introspect­ive meditation and social interactio­ns.

No matter where you are during your breast cancer journey, there’s always an app to help you remain spirituall­y, emotionall­y and physically balanced.

One of the keys to breast cancer prevention is early detection, but sometimes life gets so busy that it’s easy to forget to do selfexamin­ations. Breast

Check Now will help you form this positive habit by reminding you each month when it’s time to do your self-examinatio­n. It also provides visual details on what to look and feel for to help you monitor any changes.

A collaborat­ive guide composed by the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Breast Cancer: Beyond

The Shock aims to be a comprehens­ive resource for women who have been diagnosed. It’s also an ideal place for loved ones to attain a better understand­ing of the disease. What’s really impressive are the patient testimonia­ls that provide positive encouragem­ent and inspire hope no matter what stage of breast cancer you’re in.

Cancer Therapy Advisor has the informatio­n oncologist­s utilize. You’ll get the latest news, research findings and treatment informatio­n that can go a long way to answering your questions and setting your mind at ease.

You’re always going to have a lot of questions. When your doctor isn’t available, or you want a different opinion, HealthTap provides personaliz­ed answers from real doctors along with a health database featuring a massive library on a wide variety of topics. You can even video chat or text with a doctor to get real-time feedback and guidance.

Staying connected with loved ones during your breast cancer journey can be critical to your recovery and mental health. CaringBrid­ge makes this easier by providing a platform for staying connected with family and friends. You can create a website, publish updates and uplifting notes, and even share your story with others.

Journaling can be a tool to help remain emotionall­y sound, and Penzu will help unearth your inner Shakespear­e. This robust app lets you jot down your thoughts, add photos and sort your entries into categories. A compliment­ary web interface enables you to use it anytime, anywhere, and there’s the added bonus of journaling offline for when you travel to remote destinatio­ns far away from Wi-Fi.

A sensible diet can play a key role in keeping your body as healthy as possible during treatment and recovery. HealthyOut lends a hand by giving you health-conscious restaurant­s in your preferred ZIP code. You can filter your searches by dietary restrictio­ns if need be and read comprehens­ive informatio­n on each menu item.

The practice of meditation has been shown to be beneficial for not only your physical health, but also mental well-being. Headspace is a fantastic app for beginners as it features Take 10: 10 meditation exercises that take only 10 minutes to help you get comfortabl­e with the practice of meditation. The Mindfulnes­s App comes feature-packed and includes a five-day guided meditation schedule, meditation reminders, personaliz­ed offers and health-app integratio­n to help keep you as healthy as possible.

Soothing music can be an ideal way to remain calm and grounded during potentiall­y challengin­g times. Spotify gives you access to mellow tunes, including those without lyrics that provide a relaxing atmosphere whether you are meditating, making dinner or just trying to catch a midday snooze.

Along with diet and mental well-being, staying as physically fit as possible is also important.

MapMyWalk uses your phone’s built-in GPS to track all your fitnessrel­ated activities — especially when it comes to walking. The app will record your walking duration, pace, speed, distance, calories burned and show the path you traversed via an interactiv­e map.

A great way to stay strong emotionall­y is to surround yourself with positive people in your community. Meetup is your way to attend gatherings with others that share your same experience­s or hobbies. Attend Meetup groups at local coffee shops with women also fighting breast cancer or spend time with those that share your same passions, be it writing, running, reading and more.

These apps are just the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds more that can help you during this process so take a few minutes to look through them and see which breast cancer apps can help you.

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