Bringing her mom to her appointments has been a game changer. “I would not have been able to maintain my health and my sanity without her there,” she says. Yes, there’s the social support and comfort her mom provides, but she also brings humor and joy to the situation, Sandino notes. During her appointments, they follow “airport rules,” which simply means they let themselves eat and drink anything they want, wear their comfiest clothes, and watch horrible TV. “We are absolute goofballs who enjoy living under ‘airport rules’ in times of distress,” says Sandino.
Or recruit a good friend to join you.
Rose Dasgupta, 34, regularly gets bladder instillations to treat interstitial cystitis, a chronic condition that causes bladder pain. During the procedure, which lasts about 15 minutes, a solution of medications is inserted into their bladder via a catheter to reduce inflammation.
To pass the time, Rose often asks a close friend to tag along. Rose’s friends have sung songs, held their hand, shared inside jokes, or simply talked about exciting plans they have coming up. “It helped me take my mind off of the physical sensations that were happening, even if they talked me through breathing,” Dasgupta tells SELF.
Craft custom playlists for your treatments.
Shirley Muñoz, 38, was diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, the most common type of lung cancer, at 34. She’s currently participating in a clinical trial that requires her to go for several blood draws every couple of weeks. To keep her spirits high during the sessions, she queues up K-pop radio. “When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, listening to K-pop music became my therapy,” says Muñoz. Plus, the lyrics deeply resonate with her. “K-pop idols often share messages of resilience and perseverance that remind me that I am not alone in my struggles,” says Muñoz.
Jennifer Lava, a 40-year-old with stage IV colon cancer, recently made it through 25 rounds of radiation by bopping out to two playlists. The first was filled with songs from The Sound of Music—“It’s my favorite movie of all time and when I feel an anxiety or panic attack coming on, it helps me relax and feel a mixture of calming, home, and nostalgia,” Lava tells SELF. Her second (which she dubbed “Fuck Carl” after the name she gave her tumor, Carl) is 25 hours long and crosses all genres, with songs designed to transport her to happy times. During appointments, she’d often catch herself smiling and singing along. “I would get lost in the memory and not have to feel or think about my reality for a little while,” says Lava. One song that stands out is “I Am Here” by Pink. She heard it in a spin class in 2019 soon after she recovered from her first surgery. The bop made her want to keep pedaling harder and faster even though she felt like her body hated her. “Since then, I listen to it (often on repeat) when I need a pick-me-up or to get me energized when I feel like I’m too tired for one more thing!” she says.
Cue up a gripping TV movie.
For Christy Millar, a 39-year-old with end-stage kidney disease (which is when the kidneys can no longer function on their own), having a catalog of movies and TV shows at the ready on her iPad is a must. That’s because her kidneys can’t filter waste from her blood, so she receives dialysis three times a week, with each session lasting four hours—so she needs something that’ll grab and keep her attention for long periods. “It makes the time go quicker, especially if it’s something all-engrossing,” says Millar.
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