How To Help Yourself Feel Better During Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy could be the ticket to beating your health problems -- but the results and recovery don't happen overnight. Plus, they might not make you feel like a superhero during treatment, to put it lightly. But you can help your body react more positively by taking a few extra steps during your treatment. Note that you should always follow your doctor's advice regarding what to avoid, what medicines to take, and so on. The strategies listed here, though, should be compatible with any rules you have to follow.
Shore up the Basics
Your body will be in a better position to react positively to treatment if you ensure that the basic building blocks for health are in place. Eat well (again, within your doctor's recommendations), concentrating on moderate food plans that don't require you to jump through faddish hoops; get your sleep, because now is not the time to place further stress on your body from sleep deprivation; stay hydrated; and do what mild-to-moderate exercise you can that is approved by your doctor.
Avoid Immune Boosters Unless Recommended by Your Doctor
Avoid immune-boosting supplements and doses that aren't already part of your doctor's treatment plan for you. If you're undergoing immunotherapy, you might think that boosting your immune system and making it stronger will help you. That's not necessarily the case. There is a difference between a healthy, strong immune system in the colloquial sense and an extra-strong immune system in the medical sense. In that second one, your immune system can become strong enough to attack anything, including your own body. You already have a risk of this happening through immunotherapy, so what you want to do is provide support for your body as a whole, but not suddenly arm your immune system to fight everything it sees.
Positive Thinking
Yes, that positive thinking. The one where you believe you actually can and will get better and be healthy. The term is kind of a minefield because so many people misinterpret it to mean ignoring bad feelings and not listening to bad news at all. That's not what it's supposed to be. When you engage in being positive, you are truly more optimistic about your recovery (hey, others have done just fine -- so why not you too?), you know that this disease is just one part of your life and doesn't define you, and you process your fears and bad feelings instead of running from them. Studies show that you have a much better chance of actually doing much better if you move toward a positive attitude.
Your immunotherapy doctor can help you work out a plan for your diet, your journey toward being more positive, and any other strategy that will help your treatment be more effective. Immunotherapy is a very promising treatment, and you stand a good chance of accomplishing great things.