There are now over 100 types of blood cancer recognized by the medical world with there being three main types: leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. We know that navigating all the terminology when first diagnosed can be tricky.

A common phrase used for the chronic conditions is watch and wait or similar as the title of this article suggests. We are hoping to help cast some light on this for you who are dealing with that phrase in your cancer diagnosis. Several organizations (including Blood Cancer UK and LLS) tackle this topic which I paraphrase as the “anxiety filled time period” where you are (unfortunately) getting used to your new normal and visiting hematology every three to six months. You hear fancy words like indolent, flow cytometry, bone marrow or lymph node biopsy, and some scary scans. All of this is done to set the comparison points for your blood cancer journey.

In the meantime you might make a pact with yourself, such as promising to eat better and shed some extra pounds. Or if you are already active, you might find you are out of breath when you exercise and feel depressed that you cannot do some of the things you loved before. You might do estate planning or promise to get your finances in order. Others might make no changes and seem just fine. But I believe if you sought out a group like BCU, you are searching for answers and ways to cope. You are searching for camaraderie with people with similar experiences.

Therefore, is no proper way to “watch and wait” and that is one of the reasons why our group exists. Everyone handles it differently. But I believe one thing is true for all of us, the watching and WONDERING. How will my doctor and I know when it is time for treatment?

The most common group of folks who make up a large subsection of Blood Cancer Uncensored are those with CLL/SLL, or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma. We often don’t even know we have it until our doctor is perhaps doing a physical and bloodwork is ordered. Some of us have mild symptoms and others are diagnosed when the condition is critical. So many stories, so many varieties of journeys with same dx. But in my opinion since this is my blood cancer, it is a frustrating one as we are faced with the unknown and it can sometimes change very quickly and unpredicably. And the treatment options for SLL/CLL are evolving rapidly so that FCR chemo has fallen way down the list.

The other condition group that comes to mind that often has to cope with “active surveillance” which is another version of the watch and wait phrase is the MPN (Myeloproliferative Neoplasms), which are a group of complex and rare blood cancers, like PV, ET and Myelofibrosis.

And to be sure there are other kinds of chronic blood cancers that have the watch and worry attitude. I feel that LLS gives great advice on navigating this jungle once you have been diagnosed in order to receive prompt treatment when and if the time comes.

Are you anxious and afraid during this uncertain time of learning you have a blood cancer and that treatment is possibly maybe off in the unknown future? We totally understand! Here are some wonderful tips you can take advantage of at home to calm yourself naturally.

4-7-8 Breathing

• How to do it: Breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds; hold for 7 seconds; and release through the mouth for 8 seconds.
• Feeling anxious may cause us to breathe rapidly, speak quickly or hold our breath entirely. This puts stress on our nervous system. 4-7-8 breathing can help you calm down when you notice yourself dwelling on unwelcome or intrusive thoughts.
• If anxious thoughts are still breaking through, trying adding a visual component. You can do this in your mind’s eye (imagine blowing through a straw) or by watching a video as a guide.

5 Senses Grounding Exercise

• How to do it: Name 5 things you can see; 4 things you can touch; 3 things you can hear; 2 things you can smell; and 1 thing you can taste.
• This grounding exercise uses your environment to help bring your attention to your surroundings. It can be helpful when you are unable to relax because your mind is racing. You may be thinking about things you did in the past, how you are feeling about watchful waiting now or what might happen in the future.
• We can sometimes get lost in our thoughts and in the story that we are telling ourselves. By focusing on our surroundings, grounding exercises like this can help us recalibrate and come back to what is actually happening and what we can ultimately have control over.

“Letting Go” Visualization

• How to do it: When you have an unwelcome thought, try to acknowledge it without judgment. Picture yourself in a peaceful place, then imagine writing that thought on a balloon and letting it float away into the sky.
  • If the balloon imagery isn’t useful for you, you can also imagine releasing a toy sailboat downstream, pouring a cup of water into the ocean or letting a leaf fly into the wind. Whatever “letting go” means to you, you can use it as part of this exercise.
• This visualization is all about accepting our thoughts and trying not to judge them as good or bad. For example, I may think, “I am scared of what my next test results will be.” Instead of falling into a worst-case-scenario rabbit hole, or feeling weak about being scared, I can simply acknowledge that the thought is in my mind. That thought is normal and expected. I can think about it for a moment, and let it go. It may come back again in a minute, and that’s fine; I can simply accept and acknowledge the thought, then let it go again.
• Avoiding or repressing unwelcome thoughts can make them come back stronger. With this exercise, every time you let an idea go, it gets a little bit easier.

source: https://www.cancercare.org/blog/bcam-watchful-waiting

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