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CCSN's Remarkable Cancer Survivor's Guide to Healing at the Level of the Body
Dr. Rob Rutledge's guide emphasizes the importance of holistic cancer care, incorporating physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being to enhance recovery and quality of life. Key aspects include exercise, healthy diet, proper sleep, and the mind-body connection, alongside techniques for emotional support and stress reduction. The guide encourages patients to take control of their health decisions while fostering deeper connections and personal growth.
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CCSN's Remarkable Cancer Survivor's Guide to Healing at the Level of the Body
- 1. C C SN ’ S R E M A R K A B L E C A N C E R S U R V I V O R ’ S G U I D E T O H E A L I N G A T T H E L E V E L O F T H E B O D Y W E E K 3 W I T H D R . O C O T O B E R 1 4 R O B R U T L E D G E
- 2. YO U RG OA L S F O R T H I S S E R I E S •Maximize your chance of recovery •Feel better emotionally •Think more clearly and function better •Learn to connect more deeply •Grow psychologically / spiritually
- 3. W H AT I S C O M P L E T E C A N C E R C A R E ? ( I N T E G R AT I V E O N C O L O G Y ) • Understanding what’s happening to you • Getting the best from the medical system • Empowering yourself with healthy lifestyle - Exercise, diet, sleep, relaxation techniques • Settling the mind • Nurturing your spirit
- 5. N I NE K E Y FA C T O R S S H A R E D B Y R A D I C A L R E M I S S I O N S U R V I V O R S • Taking control of your health • Following your intuition • Radical change in diet • Use of herbs and supplements • Releasing suppressed emotions • Promoting positive emotions • Embracing social support • Having a strong reason for living • Deepening spiritual connection • **Exercise
- 6. TA K EH O M E P O I N T S ( W H A T R E M A R K A B L E C A N C E R S U R V I V O R S D O ) • Unleash your healing potential by taking care of your body • Tap into expertise – and trust your intuition • Love your body
- 7. T O DAY’ S W E B I N A R C O N T E N T • Setting the Intention • The Body-Mind Connection • Exercise, Exercise, Exercise • Maintaining a reasonable weight • Sleep • Practicing a relaxation technique
- 8. S E TT I N G T H E I N T E N T I O N • In preparation of going into any situation: • How do you want to be in the world? • What do you hope of yourself? • As a ritual, going into difficult situations, and in the middle of chaos • Why do you want your body to be healthy?
- 9. T H EM I N D - B O D Y A N D B O D Y- M I N D C O N N E C T I O N • The nervous system includes the ‘body’ • Enteric (gut) nervous system • The nerves around the heart • Relaxing the body will settle the mind • Eg. for insomniacs • The ‘power pose’ • Increases testosterone and decreases corticol. Improves confidence...
- 10. E X ER C I S E ! E X E R C I S E ! E X E R C I S E ! •What? •30’ per day, 5+ days per week, moderate intensity •Includes strength training twice per week •8-10 muscle groups, 2 sets of 8-10 reps •Option to add flexibility and coordination
- 11. E X ER C I S E ! E X E R C I S E ! E X E R C I S E ! • Why? • More energy • Better able to tolerate treatments • Better function and quality of life • Better sleep • Better mood – releases ‘molecules of joy’, drives social connection • Better immune function • Less inflammation in your body • Improved chance of survival - especially in some cancers
- 12. G E OF F E AT O N – R E M A R K A B L E C A N C E R S U R V I V O R
- 13. E X ER C I S E ! E X E R C I S E ! E X E R C I S E ! •How? •Make it fun •Make it social •Create a routine •Do the work!
- 14. S I TT I N G I S T H E N E W S M O K I N G
- 15. P L AN T- B A S E D D I E T S TAY T U N E D F O R N E X T W E B C A S T
- 16. M A IN TA I N A R E A S O N A B L E W E I G H T •Aim for a healthy and strong body (not a number) •Through exercise and healthy diet •Self compassion is the best way to make a change
- 17.
- 18. L E VE L S O F S L E E P T E A C H I N G • Information about sleep (debunk the myths) • Sleep hygiene • Stimulus control • Sleep restriction • Meditation / relaxation • Reframing thoughts that interfere with sleep
- 19. S L EE P R E L AT E D M Y T H S • I can’t function on less than 8 hours of sleep • I shouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night • If I’m tired I should go to bed earlier and spend more time in bed • Insomnia is going to harm me • If I can’t sleep it will ruin my day (cancel my plans)
- 20. S L EE P H YG I E N E • Caffeine – early in day only • Exercise early • Supper at least 2 hours before sleep • 14 hours of fasting over night • No alcohol • Turn off all screens at least an hour before sleep • Low lighting in the evening, cool room for sleep (+/- sex) only • Don’t look at the clock • ROUTINE: Wake up before the alarm goes off
- 21. S T IM U L U S C O N T R O L • Train your brain to go to sleep when you are in bed • SEE AN EXPERT / DO YOUR RESEARCH • Start with your bedtime routine • Only go to bed when sleepy • Get up if not asleep in 20-30min (do something boring) • Go to bed again when sleepy • Wake up same time – no naps!!
- 22. S T RE T C H !
- 23. N A PP I N G •Learn better, lower blood pressure post naps •Keep naps relatively short (<45min) •Before 5pm
- 24. S L EE P R E S T R I C T I O N •NEEDS to be supervised •Get up same time every morning •Bedtime based on a calculation •Usually 2-3 weeks of discomfort for long term gain
- 25. R E FR A M I N G I N T R U S I V E T H O U G H T S •Cognitive therapy or CBT, based on Dr. David Burns research / book “Feeling Good” •Our thoughts influence how we feel •We can reframe our thoughts and core beliefs to feel and function better
- 26. STEP 1 Mindful of Distressing Thoughts STEP2 Awareness and Inquiry 1. What emotions follow from this way of thinking? 2. How does my body feel? 3. Is this a helpful or harmful thought? 4. Exaggerated, irrational? STEP 3 Kind & Rational Response -Acknowledge the difficulty with kindness -Look at the situation from another perspective -Encourage yourself: “I can.. Situation:
- 27. Mindful of Distressing Thoughts Awareness and Inquiry 1.What emotions follow from this way of thinking? 2. How does my body feel? 3. Is this a helpful or harmful thought? 4. Exaggerated, irrational? Kind & Rational Response Situation: Waking up and not getting back to sleep
- 28. Mindful of Distressing Thoughts This isbullsh**! I’ll never get a good night’s sleep. Insomnia is ruining my life. This is totally unfair to get cancer and… Awareness and Inquiry Kind & Rational Response Situation: Waking up and not getting back to sleep
- 29. Mindful of Distressing Thoughts This isbullsh**! I’ll never get a good night’s sleep. Insomnia is ruining my life. This is totally unfair to get cancer and… Awareness and Inquiry 1. What emotions follow from this way of thinking? 2. How does my body feel? 3. Is this a helpful or harmful thought? 4. Exaggerated, irrational? Kind & Rational Response Situation: Waking up and not getting back to sleep
- 30. Mindful of Distressing Thoughts This isbullsh**! I’ll never get a good night’s sleep. Insomnia is ruining my life. This is totally unfair to get cancer and… Awareness and Inquiry 1. What emotions follow from this way of thinking? 2. How does my body feel? 3. Is this a helpful or harmful thought? 4. Exaggerated, irrational? Kind & Rational Response -Acknowledge the difficulty with kindness -Look at the situation from another perspective -Encourage yourself: “I can.. Situation: Waking up and not getting back to sleep
- 31. Mindful of Distressing Thoughts This isbullsh**! I’ll never get a good night’s sleep. Insomnia is ruining my life. This is totally unfair to get cancer and… Awareness and Inquiry 1. What emotions follow from this way of thinking? 2. How does my body feel? 3. Is this a helpful or harmful thought? 4. Exaggerated, irrational? Kind & Rational Response Ahhh. This is frustrating. - It doesn’t help to get myself worked up. I can get through this – and learn to train myself to get a better night’s sleep. Situation: Waking up and not getting back to sleep
- 32. M E DI TAT I O N / R E L A X AT I O N T E C H N I Q U E
- 33. O T HE R O P T I O N S •Any activity in which you consciously bring your attention back to a point of focus •Yoga, body scan, mindful walking, Qi Gong,…
- 34. 35 M E DI TAT I O N - N E U R A L B E N E F I T S • Increased gray matter in the: • Insula - interoception; self-awareness; empathy for emotions • Hippocampus - visual-spatial memory; establishing context; inhibiting amygdala and cortisol • Prefrontal cortext (PFC) - executive functions; attention control • Increased activation of left frontal regions, which lifts mood • Increased gamma-range brainwaves - may be associated with integration, “coming to singleness,” “unitary awareness” • Preserved telomere length – protects your chromosomes
- 35. 36 Lazar, et al.2005. Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. Neuroreport, 16, 1893-1897.
- 36. 37 M E DI TAT I O N : P H YS I O L O G I C A L B E N E F I T S • Decreases stress-related cortisol • Stronger immune system • Helps many medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, asthma, type II diabetes, PMS, and chronic pain • Aids wound healing and post-surgical recovery
- 37. 38 M E DI TAT I O N : P S YC H O L O G I C A L B E N E F I T S • Improves attention (including for ADHD) • Increases compassion • Increases empathy • Reduces insomnia, anxiety, phobias, eating disorders • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for depression decreases relapse
- 38. Q U ES T I O N S Dr. Rob Rutledge, Oncologist Associate Professor of Medicine HealingandCancer.org
- 39. C A NA D I A N C A N C E R S U R V I V O R N E T W O R K C O N TA C T I N F O 1750 Courtwood Crescent, Suite 210 Ottawa, ON K2C 2B5 Telephone / Téléphone : 613-898-1871 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Website: www.survivornet.ca Twitter: @survivornetca Facebook: www.facebook.com/CanadianSurvivorNet Instagram: @survivornet_ca Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/survivornetwork/