8 Tips for Getting Through Intense Medical Treatments, According to Folks Who Have Been There

Julia Ries
·8 min read

Marie Bertrand/Getty Images

When you’re dealing with a major health condition, you might have to regularly go through intense treatment, like chemotherapy if you have cancer, dialysis for kidney disease, or bladder instillations for chronic pain conditions like interstitial cystitis (IC). You’re sometimes poked and prodded, told to take nauseating meds, or hooked up to a machine for hours—all of which can seriously take a toll on your mental health.

Having some sort of distraction—whether a good book, gripping podcast, or friend by your side—can shift your thoughts away from the pain, anxiety, or discomfort the procedure may cause and toward something more joyful. We asked nine people receiving treatment for a chronic disease like cancer or kidney failure what they do to get through the toughest treatments. Here’s what they said.

Do a bit of journaling.

Shayla Lanzon, a 33-year-old with stage IV colon cancer, has been receiving chemotherapy infusions every other week for the past few months. To get through the sessions, which last about six hours for her, Lanzon keeps a notebook of comments from her medical team, side effects she’s developed in response to the drugs, and how she’s feeling at the moment.

Journaling has helped her process everything she’s going through, including her emotions, which can range from grief and anger to exhaustion and hopefulness. “It allows me to be honest and say that this is really hard, but then learn and grow from it,” she tells SELF. The practice has helped her stay optimistic and see what she values most in life—her friends, family, husband, and care team. “Journaling allows me to be compassionate with myself and recognize the good that is still happening even in the midst of a heavy season,” she says.

Tune into a live support group.

Joe Faratzis, a 34-year-old who was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2019, has undergone multiple treatments, including radiation, radiofrequency ablations on his liver, various surgeries, and 12 cycles of chemotherapy (with each infusion lasting six hours).

The thing that helped him get through the toughest days? Connecting with people going through similar experiences. He joined a couple of groups, including the Cancer Support Community Los Angeles, where he was able to Zoom with others during infusions. Attending support groups during his treatments helped him tune his treatment out and focus on his new friends. “Hearing their stories made me feel less alone and gave me hope on even my hardest days,” says Faratzis. To find a support group, you can ask your doc for recs or browse nonprofit orgs centered on your condition (say, the American Cancer Society).

Bring a family member along.

Mia Sandino, 25, has had stage III osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, for over six years. During that time, she’s undergone countless chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens (the treatments help the immune system fight cancer). She’s also undergone 30 cryogenic lung ablations—a procedure in which a radiologist uses a needle-like probe to freeze malignant tumors off the lungs.

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.

Her favorite genres? Action and fantasy. When she watches epic stories like Mission Impossible and Lord of the Rings, the sessions fly by. “Dialysis is exhausting and can cause blood pressure drops and nausea, so a good action film is a great distraction,” Millar says. (Check out our list of comfort flicks to cozy up with.)

Ground yourself with a guided meditation.

Jessica Acosta, a 30-year-old with stage III rectal cancer, tried meditation in the past, but the practice never clicked. When she became desperate to ease her anxiety, which was surging due to her diagnosis, she decided to give it another go. She browsed the meditation section in her Apple Fitness Plus app and stumbled upon one she really liked, called Meditation with Jessica.

She tuned in to those guided meditations during the seven half-hour infusion treatments she received over six months. “Her meditations had different themes, such as gratitude and resilience—they helped me focus my energy to healthier and empowering thoughts,” Acosta tells SELF. Meditation has since become a habit—whenever she starts to worry about her recovery, Acosta finds herself meditating subconsciously. “I've learned how to manage my anxiety through following these videos and developing the habit,” she says. (Here’s how to meditate if you haven’t gotten into it yet, but really want to.)

Find a community on social media.

Haley Huchon, 33, was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer that starts in the milk ducts and spreads to other tissue, in September 2024. Soon after she noticed a lump in her breast, she began posting videos to TikTok documenting everything she was going through—including her diagnosis, biopsy, and ongoing treatment procedures, which include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.

Her videos quickly caught on, and other women who had breast cancer started reaching out to her offering support and words of wisdom. The site has been monumental in allowing her to build a community with other people who’ve had breast cancer. (Read how three people with chronic illnesses say the platform changed their lives.)

Huchon says she couldn’t have gotten this far without the support and connection of other people. “My what would be very vulnerable moments have become not only a time capsule of the true emotions of this roller coaster, but have captured so much support from so many women that have gone through the process themselves” Huchon tells SELF.

Whether you’re heading into chemo or dialysis—or know someone who is—any type of intense medical appointment is never a great time. Just know that whatever treatment you’re on is designed to make you feel better eventually. A little feel-good action plan will help keep you calm (and distracted) in the meantime.

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Originally Appeared on Self

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