Managing Crisis: From Cancer to Coronavirus
With coronavirus consuming the world’s attention, fear is everywhere. It’s the unavoidable and highly stressful kind of uncertainty that, as a cancer fighter, I’m all too familiar with.
I remember the brutal shock of when I was first diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, seemingly out of nowhere. And then breaking down in tears at the hospital’s neighboring coffee shop, moments after learning I’d need a year of aggressive chemotherapy. I remember touring the hospital, still in disbelief and full of dread on my first day of treatment. And midway through treatment schedule, waiting on scan results— the ultimate grand jury— to find out if this massive weight would finally be lifted or if I needed to continue living out my worst nightmares. I remember the crushing blow when after thinking I was in the clear, scans showed a recurrence the following year. And then, somehow pulling it together only to crumble apart all over again after the second and third recurrences, to the point where I questioned if there was possibly any fight left and ran exclusively on the fumes of refusal not leave my wife and family behind.
I remember being told that my survival rate was now less than 10%, and waking up the following morning, wondering how many times I’d get to re-experience the sunrise before the clock ran out. And holding my wife closely in bed every night, each of us panicking privately but quietly because we didn’t want to rile the other.
It’s totally natural to be on edge right now. I am. My wife is. We all are. You’d be crazy not to get caught up in the anxiety of the moment. I’m constantly running though inventory on my groceries and necessities like anyone else, and praying that New York doesn’t go on a full lockdown. But eventually, you realize there’s no choice but to keep on living.
So how do we go about that? I try to apply my approaches with cancer over to the coronavirus.
Here are the basics:
Mindset: Once I’ve prepared the best that I can, I try not to get too far ahead of myself. “What if “ scenarios are endlessly creative and will haunt you for as long as you let them. Instead, I focus on getting through each day at a time and keeping it as simple as possible.
Staying social: I find that keeping up with friends and family isn’t just ideal, it’s necessary for maintaining good spirits. We’re all in this together and it helps to remember that. Plus, with Skype, we can schedule unlimited happy hours and coffee moments.
Pacing my news intake: It’s important to stay informed, but paying too much attention to the news (same with Twitter and IG) can really drag you down and plague your mind with all those “what if” scenarios. Don’t forget to throw on some comedy too. Laughing helps the immune system and it’s also way more fun. Shows, stand-up specials… Consider them medicine for the soul.
When anxiety peaks: Managing isolation is a constant challenge for someone like myself who’s on medical leave. Spending the day cramped in an apartment becomes very suffocating, so when I feel the pressure start to rise— typically mid/late afternoon and evenings are worst— I take a 10 meditation break. Popping outside (socially distanced in this case) for fresh air and sun also helps. The outdoors can make everything feel lighter and strengthen the immune system.
Take advantage of family time, work, or solo hobbies: Basically, I try to keep busy and focus on what I can control. During moments of crisis, too much time lost in thought can do more harm than good.
Hope this helps anyone who may be struggling. I’m sure that’s most of us right now. Most importantly, please stay safe, healthy and look out for those who are less fortunate. And remember to take it one day at a time.
-Steve
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