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Enduring and Changing |
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 Coping
With Changes In Appearance
Changes in appearance can be devastating because they are so undeniable.
Surgical procedures can disrupt your self-image. Weight loss or gain
can be difficult to disguise. The effects of medications and treatment
can take a toll on your appearance. Your skin, for example, might
become much more pale than usual, or have a yellowish cast to it.
The hair loss associated with chemotherapy can be especially disturbing.
These physical changes sometimes have a profound effect on how you
feel about yourself. Our culture places so much value on "looking
your best!" When your health care providers and everyone else around
you focus on your body, assessing the effects of illness and treatment,
it's not surprising that you may also be preoccupied with your body.
Befriend the new face that you see in the mirror. A necessary first
step will be to let go of your "old self," or at least of your image
of that self. "Look Good, Feel Better" is a special program designed
especially to help you adapt to your appearance and is available in
many communities. Hospitals or other sponsors bring in professional
beauticians, cosmetologists, and stylists to advise people on how
to wear make-up, turbans, and wigs, not only to minimize changes,
but to look truly good.
Many people lessen the effect of physical change by changing their
wardrobe. If you have lost a great deal of weight, your old clothes
may be uncomfortably baggy. If your skin is fragile, certain fabrics
may irritate it. Soft cottons, velour, and chenille may feel better
than wool and nylon. Clothing can disguise many changes, and makeup
and wigs work wonders. Janie had a number of brightly colored loose-fitting
robes that she wore frequently because, she said, the colors lifted
her spirits and hid what she described as her "bony body." |
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Adapted from The
Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness,
by Joanne Lynn and Joan Harrold, copyright by Joanne Lynn, used by
permission of Oxford University Press.
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