#BloodCancerAwarenessMonth Q&A: "Chemo's over! Why do I freak out about follow up scans?"

Over the years, I've received thousands of emails about Bald in the Land of Big Hair, a memoir about my experience with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A cancer diagnosis brings a firestorm of questions, and as a survivor, I can sympathize, but I'm not an expert; many times I just don't have the answers. So this year during Blood Cancer Awareness Month, I've asked Ashley Rodgers (Masters in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling), to respond to some FAQs about the emotional and psychological aspects of the cancer journey.

Q: I've been in remission for several years, and I go once-a-year for scans and follow-up with the oncologist. I used to feel a lot of panic and dread as the six-month check ups approached. Now I feel terrified about going so long between scans. What's wrong with me?

Ashley says: I understand you may be concerned and confused about why going so long between check-ups can feel so scary. Remission is supposed to be this glorious time of relief and calm after the stress of the disease is gone, right? What you are feeling is completely normal—you are anticipating the worst; that the disease is back. Take a deep breath and understand that this fear is within your control. Here are some relaxation techniques to help you prepare for your doctor appointments and cope with the downtime in between:

Deep Breathing. Find a quiet space. Sitting with good upright posture, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Gently place your hand on your stomach and inhale slowly. Hold the air for a moment then exhale slowly, letting all of the air out. Do this three to five times while focusing on the sound of your breath (Stop if you feel light headed or dizzy).

Yoga/Meditation. Yoga and meditation help connect your mind and body. You can participate in a class or do this on your own. The purpose is to clear your mind and connect your breathing to the movement of your body. With each stretch or pose, your movements are timed with your breath as you inhale and exhale. Focus your attention on breathing smoothly and fully, emptying out your thoughts and emotions, and connecting, rather, with yourself.

Draw the emotion. This is a technique used to help control emotions such as fear or anger. Draw what you believe the fear looks like or could look like on a piece of paper. Put it all out on the page. Then, crumple it up into a tight ball, squeezing it, smashing it down between the palms of your hands. Then begin to tear it up, shred it into little bits and throw it into the trashcan. This gets the image of the emotion out of your head and onto the paper, which you can control. By tearing it apart and throwing it away you visually see yourself discarding the unwanted emotion.

If you need more help to effectively manage the fear you are experiencing you should contact your medical doctor and let he/she know what is going on. Additionally, a mental health professional could assist you in processing this fear and overcoming the underlying issue.

Visit the Mayo Clinic for 10 Relaxation Techniques that Zap Stress Fast.

We welcome your questions and comments.

*No part of this blog or the book Bald in the Land of Big Hair should be misconstrued as or substituted for medical advice.

Dr. Janece O. Hudson Gets Into Your Dreams

Boxing the Octopus Contest/Dream Advice Exclusive: Ask Dr. Hudson a question about your dreams in the comments below or simply post a comment to be entered in a drawing to take place on Friday, August 5th at noon CDT to win a copy of Into Your Dreams! Beginning this afternoon (Monday, 8/1) Dr. Hudson will answer your dream questions on a first-come, first-served basis in the comments section. Please include an e-mail address with your comment or check back at the blog on Friday afternoon so we can reach you if your name is drawn. -------------------- Right around the time I sold my first book, I was fortunate enough to meet Jan Hudson, the author of more than thirty romances and romantic comedies. During a shared meal at a writer's conference, I casually mentioned a vivid, terrifying dream that had repeatedly troubled me for months, something about continually being cut off on my commute to work by tornadoes dropping from the sky. That's when I learned of Jan's ...

Quick Tips from a Tightrope

The other day, I posted this sobering message on my Facebook and Twitter feeds: New writers don't want to hear it, but staying published is the hard part. Like trying to walk a tightrope in lard-slathered socks. The publishing biz had just given me another such reminder, with my former publisher (and holder of my entire in-print backlist) deciding to go all digital, at least in the near future and whittling down its editorial staff to nearly nil in response to dwindling sales. But even in the best of economic times, it's a huge challenge to keep one's career alive long enough to build an audience and prosper, especially for the grand majority of authors, who survive on the mid-list. (Big-time bestsellerdom has its own perils, but that's another post.) Yet somehow, I remain if not wildly optimistic, perpetually hopeful. Over the years, I've seen some very talented authors crash and burn with the fortunes of lousy covers, a line's or publisher's demise, or an ...

#TheStruggleIsReal Why I’m Not Mad That You Didn’t Hire Me (Freelance editor Jerusha Rodgers on a millennial dilemma)

Today we hear from Jerusha Rodgers (aka "The Plot Whisperer") of Rabid Badger Editing in a post prompted by a conversation about agism in publishing, which I see from the perspective of a, um...let's say "experienced" author/book doctor in my 50s and she sees from the perspective of a fresh new face in her mid-20s. Ironically, yes, she had to explain to me about "the struggle is real." Shortly after graduating, a friend of mine posted the greatest Facebook status ever: “I would love to reenact some the of the fantasies in Fifty Shades of Grey, specifically the one where she gets a full-time job straight out of college.” With an economy that clings to safety (read: tradition and money) and a workforce and community that strives for advancement (read: cooler, more accessible stuff), applicants whose limited practical experience is backed up by open minds and inherent expertise in the use of technology often get left out of the running. It’s the st...

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