A cancer diagnosis is confronting at every level: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially. Your life after cancer diagnosis may no longer match that quality of life you were enjoying or looking forward to before your diagnosis. You may experience grief over the loss of or changes to the quality of life you had. You may feel uncertainty Allow yourself time to grieve. Be patient and understanding towards yourself, 

 

Quality of life has become an important measure of wellness for cancer patients. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), quality of life (QoL) is defined as individual perception of life, values, objectives, standards, and interests in the framework of culture.  A very important piece of this definition is that QoL is based on individual perception.  Our perception is based on our beliefs. What is your perception of what it means to have Quality of Life? What beliefs do you base this perception on? What measures do you use to rate your Quality of Life? Is there flexibility for those measures to change over time? What subtle changes could you make to your perception to improve your feelings surrounding your quality of life? Below are a handful of strategies to support you in understanding and maximizing your quality of life.