WEBVTT FILE

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It's among the most
jarring diagnoses a doctor

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will ever deliver:
that you have cancer.

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When Leah Davis learned
she had leukemia, her

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first reaction was
disbelief, followed by a

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struggle to wrap her
mind around the news.

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 "It was surreal, but I think at the time I was

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 just trying to process it."

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 "To find out they have a cancer diagnosis is

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 surprising, scary, alarming, a whole bunch of

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 emotions can come up."

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Those emotions may include
feeling overwhelmed,

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angry, worried, anxious,
sad or guilty about being

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a burden to loved ones.

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 "I had a few days where I think I was down.

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 I'm like, "Why did this happen?"

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 And so, what I did, because I do have a

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 strong, for me, a strong spiritual foundation, I

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 had to use the tools to help bring me up."

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One tool is to share your
feelings with others,

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whether family and
friends, a support group,

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a counselor or your
health care team.

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 "Depending on how things go the next couple of

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 weeks."

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In addition, you may find
it helpful to write down

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your feelings
in a journal.

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Getting enough sleep,
being physically active,

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and doing things you enjoy
may also help you feel

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better emotionally.

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Relaxation techniques can
be beneficial as well.

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 "Some patients find that it's very helpful to have

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 a relaxation routine, whether it's lavender

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 lotion or a warm bath."

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Leah has found that
meditation helps ease her

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mind.

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 "It doesn't mean that you have to sit still and

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 empty your mind.

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 It can be a meditation that's focused on

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 mindfulness.

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 Trying to stay present.

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 You work on your breathing, even to the

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 point where you feel the air coming in your nose

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 and feel the air leaving your body."

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Music was also
helpful for Leah.

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 "I found a spiritual song.

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 And that spiritual song was the thing that I kept

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 holding on.

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 I would listen to it.

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 I would sing.

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 Then I would remember myself being brought back

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 up."

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Having someone help you
navigate through diagnosis

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and treatment can help
make the process feel less

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overwhelming.

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For Leah, that person
was her sister, Christi.

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 "Once that cry was out of me, it was business.

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 Boom, boom, boom.

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 Boom, boom, boom.

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 Boom, boom, boom.

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 And making sure that Leah was okay."

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 "From the very beginning, Christi was there.

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 That meant everything to me.

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 That meant life to me.

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 It meant that I had someone there to support

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 me."

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A sense of gratitude for
the people and good things

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in your life, as Leah
felt, can help counter

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negative feelings.

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 "It was a big comfort for you to help me the way

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 that you did."

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So, can trying to stay
positive as much as

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possible, something Leah
credits for getting her

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through two years of
rigorous treatments.

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 "I remember one time I was walking around the ward.

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 The head nurse stopped me.

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 She said, "You are so positive."

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 And I said, "Thank you."

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 She said, "Don't stop.

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 It's holding on.

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 It's having hope."