Writing helps cancer patients

Several years ago my father had a cancer scare. Pre-surgery, the doctor's exact words were "I'll be floored if this isn't cancer." My oldest sister, an RN, gathered all of my siblings and my mom together and talked to us. She told us how incredibly important it is to maintain a good attitude and to be strong. Our dad was going to need us to be strong so that he could go through any emotions he needed to. He also needed us to be strong so that, after his initial anger, grief, and fear, he could find his own strength again.

During my dad's surgery to remove 3/4 of his right lung, my sisters, brother, mom and I sat and held each other's hands. Knowing this was the moment to be scared because after we knew for sure that it was cancer, it was time to rally the troops. Once the biopsy was back, however, I guess my dad's doctor was "floored." It wasn't cancer after all. But the scare really brought our family together and showed me how important attitude is for recovery.

Doctors know how emotional illnesses like cancer can be. And the connection between a positive mindset and healing is well known. So this trial that includes journaling (or "expressive writing") as part of an overall cancer treatment plan makes great sense. 63 leukemia or lymphoma patients were asked to journal for 20 minutes as well as complete pre- and post-writing surveys. Nearly 50% of participants felt that journaling changed how they thought about their illness and improved their quality of life. 35% thought writing changed the way they felt about cancer. The vast majority of the patients wrote positively about their experiences.

Take this AOL Body quiz to see if you're do what you can to avoid cancer.