Cancer and Laughter-An Important Combination
Some of the biggest challenges facing us are finding new ways to cure and treat cancer. With all our advances in medicine and technology, it seems like the hunt for these particular holy grails remains elusive. At best, we are left with expensive and experimental treatments which might change probabilities but do not create certainties.
Cancer is tough not only on the patients but their loved ones as well. Anyone who has ever had a loved one with cancer knows how dreadful the experience can be; waiting for test results, hoping for positive news, enduring the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
One of the hardest parts of caring for someone with cancer is the feeling of helplessness. Seeing your loved one suffer from a mysterious and powerful disease is painful enough. But being in this situation and feeling unsure about how to ease their suffering can hurt just as much.
At Rock the Treatment, we are here to tell you that there is something you can do to help your friend or loved one who has cancer. It might not sound like much but, trust us, you can make a difference.
Rock the Treatment has items that can bring welcome relief to people with cancer during the dark days of chemo and radiation treatments. Our cancer gift boxes are the perfect way to show someone you care while providing gifts they will love. Our gift boxes are filled with items to help ease not just the physical side effects of cancer treatment but also the emotional ones.
If you’re reading this, chances are you are looking for ways to help someone on their cancer journey. Sometimes, just being present, is present enough. Here, we offer some ideas and stories to help you elicit smiles.
What Is the Best Thing to Do When Someone I Love Receives a Cancer Diagnosis?
One of the best things you can do is try to treat them the same way you always have. Don’t ignore their diagnosis, of course. But try not to let it be the only thing in your relationship. Provide moral support but try to engage them as you normally would.
For example, you can start by inviting them to play a favorite card game, board game or to watch a movie.
Talk about things other than cancer. Talk about politics or that latest meme that is making the rounds on the internet. Watch some YouTube or TikTok videos, which are always good for a laugh.
Speaking of laughing, did you know that laughter helps tremendously when it comes to fighting cancer?
Does Humor and Positivity Really Help?
In the book “Laugh ‘Til It Heals,” author and cancer survivor Christine Clifford wrote that “laughter reaches a place no medicine can touch: the soul.” In it, she writes about some amazing and funny stories shared by people directly or indirectly experiencing cancer. In most of her writing, contributors make it clear that laughter and a good sense of humor were essential to their recoveries.
But is this true? Is laughter really the best medicine for our ailments?
Truth be told, there is a scientific basis for the belief that laughter has curative properties.
According to experts, the physical act of laughing produces endorphins that help patients relieve their pain, anxiety, and discomfort. In some cases, laughter has even been reported to have the capacity to boost our immune systems.
But regardless of the science behind this, you have probably experienced this first hand. Think about it; laughter and joy fill any room with positive energy. Anyone within listening distance can instantly be uplifted by the sound of people laughing. It is a natural mood-booster and has a wonderfully contagious effect.
Can Cancer be Funny? Here are Some Good Cancer Stories to Share!
A positive outlook and good humor can be a crucial part of even the worst cancer experience. You would be amazed at some of the funny stories people have about their treatments, friends, and encounters. Think about sharing some of these uplifting stories with your friend with cancer.
Even better? Make some funny memories of your own!
Here are some amusing cancer anecdotes:
- A man named John had his colon removed after doctors found a cancerous tumor. The doctor showed him the 8-inch, half-pound tumor, which John just had to take a picture of. According to John, this picture now serves as evidence that his head is not up his, well, you know!
- Two friends, Ronnie and Traci, had been friends since they were little girls. They remained friends well into their 50s when Ronnie got cancer. Traci took her to chemo, brought little inspirational gifts, helped with housework, cooked meals for the family, and tried hard to make life a little easier and brighter for them all. They loved reminiscing about “the old days.” One night, despite Ronnie feeling awful from chemo, they decided to teach Ronnie’s daughter how to play jacks which they were obsessed with when they were young. The result was hours spent on the floor, hysterical laughter, and serious regression to an easier time in life! It was a night they talked about for years, always laughing until tears were running down their faces.
- Lynn, aged 47, was diagnosed with colon cancer that had spread to other parts of her body. A serious journey of surgeries and treatments followed, leaving her bodily functions somewhat out of control. One night while recovering from a nasty bout of chemo, her friends sent her a text. When she opened it, she found an image of ten grown women, her dear friends wearing adult diapers in her honor! Lynn said she laughed herself to sleep that night.
- Mandy was getting chemotherapy that made her severely ill, so the doctors began giving her high doses of medication to help her sleep through the worst of it. Mandy wasn’t one to sleep through anything, especially with her three kids, who often needed her during the day, calling and texting.
- She sent this hilarious text to her son; “then you were talking too moo and Let if you, spoke to your tec and he said sure to tell me where you struggling so if I fact figure if I can it can do is at my house.nnd then he real clean up begins!!!”
Maybe the funniest part was her son’s concise and direct response, “What.” She has saved these texts for all of these years because it still makes her laugh out loud.
There are plenty of amazing stories about positivity and laughter involving cancer. You might be surprised at how easy it is to make someone smile and laugh who is enduring so much pain.
Send Cancer Gift Boxes
If someone you love has cancer, send them a helpful cancer care package from Rock The Treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation gift baskets are packed with the essentials needed to ease side effects of treatment, as well as enhance physical and mental well-being. See all of our cancer gift baskets and find the one that best supports their journey.
Source:
- Clifford, C. (11 November 2011). Laugh ‘Til It Heals: Notes From the World’s Funniest Cancer Mailbox. Anshan Publishers
- https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2015/08/cancer-humor-eases-stress.html
- https://www.mlive.com/health/2011/03/for_laughfest_cancer_survivors.html
