A new diagnosis can send you reeling. Everything is going to be up in the air, including your emotions.
At the time at which you probably can’t concentrate or process anything, you are most likely overwhelmed with information.
We’ve been working in wellness for 13 years and we’ve gathered together some of the top resources for dealing with a new diagnosis. Everything from practical help to emotional survival tips.
So bookmark this page, start here, dip in and know we are sending you so much love and support.
1. The Cancer Journey: Positive Steps to Help Yourself Heal
Co-authored by our dear friend and wellness Trail Blazer Polly Noble. ‘The Cancer Journey – Positive steps to help yourself heal is an inspirational and compelling book which provides the blueprint for dealing with cancer and is the book of choice for anyone affected by this disease. The authors, Polly, Pam and Nick have all had their own different cancer diagnoses, and feel passionate about sharing the information they have gathered which has helped them understand and cope throughout their journeys. The book is written in a warm, compassionate style with gentle humour, offering comfort and practical advice for anyone affected by cancer including family and friends.’
‘Right from the moment you’re diagnosed, through your treatment and beyond, we are a constant source of support to help you feel more in control of your life. We can help you find answers to questions about your treatment and its effects. We can advise on work and benefits, and we’re always here for emotional support when things get tough.’
This amazing charity can help you with nearly all aspects of a cancer diagnosis and your family and friends too. You can get in touch with them and check out what they offer here.
3. Where To Begin If Newly Diagnosed
Where to begin if newly diagnosed. We have (nearly) all you need to know – from coping emotionally to what to pack for a hospital visit, get the best articles from internationally renowned wellness writer, and Healing Boxes co-founder Grace Quantock. Read them here.
‘A new diagnosis. I’ve been there many times. And I’ve written extensively on the subject. So if you’ve googled your way here because you are newly diagnosed, or if you’re new to my work, this is a great place to start.
Consider this a directory of sorts; someplace for you to find just what you need for just where you are right now – and where you will be on your healing journey. Bookmark it. Enjoy it. And know I’ve created it just for precious you.’
4. Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Cancer Series
Kris Carr’s books change lives, ignite healing journey’s and provide home and humour to thousands.
‘Actress and photographer Kris Carr thought she had a hangover, but a Jivamukti yoga class didn’t provide its usual kick-ass cure. A visit to her doctor confirmed her “liver looked like Swiss cheese,” covered with cancerous tumors. She entered trench warfare (wearing cowboy boots into the MRI machine, no less), vowing, “Cancer needed a makeover and I was just the gal to do it… Chapters cover your changing social life, dating, sex, and appearance; essential health tips on how to boost your immune system; recipes; medical and holistic resources; and information on young survivor support groups. The resulting book is a warm, yet informative tool for any woman newly diagnosed with the disease and for those who love them.”
Check out Kris’s amazing website too and her loving online community.
At Healing Boxes we have experience of being ill and of being carers. And taking care of the carer is essential – it’s about survival.
‘Six million people in the UK, often unnoticed by the rest of us, provide unpaid care for disabled or elderly relatives, friends or neighbours. Their job is long, lonely and hard, yet there is limited support and no formal training. As a result, carers suffer frequent damage to physical and mental health.
Oddly, though carers by definition are anything but selfish pigs, they are liable to feelings of guilt, probably brought on by fatigue and isolation. So Hugh Marriott has written this book for them – and also for the rest of us who don’t know what being a carer is all about. His aim is bring into the open everything he wishes he’d been told when he first became a carer. And he does. The book airs such topics as sex, thoughts of murder, and dealing with the responses of friends and officials who fail to understand.’
Do you want somewhere to spend time with people who really ‘get’ what you are going through, but where the focus is on life and not just illness? Come and join the Trail Blazers’ Cafe!
“The Trail Blazers’ Cafe is for women living well with illnesses/pain/disability and health challenges. The disabilities and diseases are just the footnotes, we are the adventure stories!”
“In the Sick Chick to Trail Blazers’ Facebook Cafe we focus on what we are *doing* as well as a central theme of living and healing vs. “dealing” with a chronic illness or disability. I feel 100% comfortable talking, asking advice and seeking resources from all of our amazing members the fact is that “Sick Chicks” is a group that is celebrating life, healing, achievements and beauty – primarily focusing on supporting our friends as they forge their way to their dreams.”
– Brooke Janssen – Photographer and Sick Chick turned Trail Blazer.
Healing Boxes’ wonderful friend Lizzy created this magazine to help make ‘chronic illness suck less’. It’s simply super, gathering rave reviews and Healing Boxes is honoured to be featured in the latest issue. Check it out for a giveaway offer!
When newly diagnosed, diet can feel like a scary minefield. But Natasha Lipman brings all the info down to earth in delicious, simple goodness.
Check out her recipes and gorgeous creations here. And follow her on Instagram.
Here at Healing Boxes, we know about being ill, new diagnoses and the struggles that come with a life in hospital. And it’s our job to make all of it easier.
You can donate a Healing Box to someone in need or buy one for yourself if you need one!
We’ve written about:
Fun things to do when you are stuck in bed
How to support an ill relative/friend
10. Rawness of Remembering – Restorative Journalling through Difficult Times
Rawness of Remembering, to be released this summer, is a self-paced, multimedia program about restorative journaling through difficult times, built by someone who’s been in the trenches.
Walk away with a journaling habit, a toolbox of photography and writing techniques designed for those working through mental illness, loss, and/or a variety of tough transitions, as well as connections through our ongoing private online community. Learn to see your journal as a powerful balm, especially when used in conjunction with therapy and other forms of care.
Perhaps you’re going through a rough time, but can’t imagine being open about it to anyone you know.
Perhaps that loneliness is compounding your pain, to the point where you wonder if the loneliness is worse than the difficult time itself.
Perhaps you’ve tried journaling, but gave up after one or two entries because you didn’t know what to write about. Or you’re a long-time journal-keeper, but wish to learn specific techniques to get through whatever you’re going through. More info here.
What are your favourite resources? Let us know on Twitter.
Wishing you good days and lots of healing hugs,
The Healing Boxes Team.