Celebrating New Year during cancer treatment. How to prepare?

For many people, New Year's Eve is a long-awaited day - it is a time of New Year's resolutions and wishes, but for most people associate it with having fun until dawn. But what about people undergoing oncological treatment? Do they have to give up the pompous celebration of the coming New Year? Fortunately not. They should only bear in mind a few very important points.

How to spend New Year's Eve during treatment?

The first question to ask yourself before New Year's Eve is: How do I want to spend this night? Of course, there can be many answers to them, so preparing for New Year's Eve is an individual matter. Many people want to spend this day in a unique way, e.g., going to another city, going to visit friends or family living closer or further. If we are planning a longer trip, we should consider whether our body is ready for it at the moment.

Both the disease and the oncological treatment can make you feel weak and make even easy-going activities a challenge. Many people also get tired very quickly. One of the problematic issues with chemotherapy is the side effects of the digestive system (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea). Moreover, longer trips may be associated with the risk of discontinuation of therapy. For these reasons, it is worth considering spending New Year's Eve in a calmer atmosphere than before. However, this does not mean giving up playing, but only listening to the needs of the body and making sure that you feel as good as possible.

Can I drink alcohol while cancer treatment?

For many people, New Year's Eve and celebrating the New Year are necessarily associated with drinking alcohol, for example in the form of a glass of champagne. A large proportion of cancer patients consider reaching for it. Is it right? A glass of champagne seems to be a slight deviation from the doctor's recommendations. Nothing could be more wrong. Alcohol, even in small amounts, consumed during oncological treatment negatively affects both the patient and the treatment process. Therefore, alcohol during oncological treatment is strictly prohibited. Instead of alcoholic drinks, you can reach for their non-alcoholic alternatives.

Nowadays, there are many substitutes on the market and no one is surprised by alcohol-free wine. However, it should be remembered that such products may also contain traces of alcohol. When choosing a drink, we should pay attention to the label and the information on its composition. Some of the non-alcoholic products contain ingredients that can be harmful, for example, to the digestive system. As part of the New Year's celebration, you can also reach for healthier solutions, e.g., in the form of mocktails (non-alcoholic versions of traditional cocktails) made on the basis of juices.

New Year's Eve food during treatment

Another issue with which to celebrate the upcoming New Year is food. Can exceptions be made on this day? Even in such a special period, oncological patients should not deviate from the diet. Hard to digest, fatty foods can significantly burden the body and additionally contribute to the deterioration of well-being. If we are guests, we should consider contacting the hosts in advance to ask them to prepare several dishes that will be tailored to our dietary needs. If we do not want to additionally burden the hosts, we can also prepare such snacks or dishes ourselves. At this point, it is worth emphasizing that the dishes composed in this way will also benefit the health of other people.

How to plan this day?

In the case of people undergoing oncological treatment, planning plays a very important role. It also does not omit the period related to the upcoming New Year. Make sure you don't run out of medication well in advance. In the case of people undergoing regular treatments, such as irradiation as part of radiotherapy, it is necessary to take this issue into account in preparation. This is especially true for plans that would include travel. A trip to a more distant region may be associated not only with fatigue and worse well-being, but also with discontinuing the therapy. This is why the plans for the New Year's Eve should also be adapted to the treatment. Before we set off on a journey, we should consult this issue with the attending physician. If it is not necessary, it is best to give up traveling and celebrate locally.

Thanks to proper preparation, we will minimize the risk of factors that could thwart our plans. Remember that New Year's Eve is primarily a time of celebration that should be care-free.