When you are going through treatment, mornings can feel like the hardest part of the day. You have no appetite, you have to remember your medication, and your body just feels heavy. For me, those were exactly the days when keeping my morning simple helped the most. Nothing grand. The moment I get up, a glass of lukewarm water. It sits easier than cold water, and it feels like it gently wakes my stomach up.
After that I take my medication, and I have breakfast without pushing myself too hard. I drink a warm vegetable-and-fruit blend with a little olive oil stirred in, and I add a protein shake on the side. Even when I have no appetite, I make a point of getting protein in, because it is easy to lose muscle during treatment. I am usually full enough that I do not really need a separate meal, but I still try never to skip sitting down with my family and taking at least a spoonful together. My family loves beans, so we often eat rice with beans, and thanks to that I have grown fond of beans too.
That is the broad shape of my morning. Medication, a drink, protein — those three are the things I try never to miss, no matter the day. Because the order is set, even on a hectic morning I no longer find myself lost.
And there is one thing that has really paid off for me lately: belly breathing, breathing with your stomach. When I lie down and slowly let my belly rise and fall, before I know it I drift off to sleep, and I wake up feeling much clearer. If you have had long nights where sleep would not come, I would love for you to give it a try. One more thing — in moments where you have to hold your breath, like during a CT scan, being used to breathing with my belly made it much easier. The queasy feeling was less, too.
This may all be something you already know. Even so, once you actually try it, it turns out to be simpler than expected and surprisingly effective. I think if each of us builds one small routine that suits us, we end up with a handle to grab onto even on the shaky days.
What I have written here is nothing more than my own experience. Whether it is food or breathing, everyone's body is different, so before you try something new, it is reassuring to have a quick word with your own doctor first.