I want to thank all of the readers who took the time to pass along helpful tips for staying positive last week.

Keeping a positive attitude in the face of a cancer diagnosis and treatment isn’t easy. But a positive attitude is the cornerstone of improving any patient’s quality of life during treatment.

Enough with the general, philosophical stuff! Here are a few practical suggestions to help multiple myeloma patients and caregivers make it through their day:

Keep moving. Go for a walk. Stretch for ten minutes. Swim. Roll your wheel chair up and down the block. Do some type of resistance training. Exercising can help lower your blood pressure, reduce the risk of blood clots, protect and strengthen bones, burns calories, and improve appetite. It can also help improve your mood and ability to concentrate. Best of all, it costs little or nothing to get started.

Do something for someone else. When you aren’t feeling well, it is easy to fall into the “It’s all about me!” trap. Reach out to another patient or person in need. Your efforts will be appreciated, and I guarantee you will feel better about yourself. It’s a win-win!

Speak with your physician about your medications. If you are experiencing adverse side effects, ask why you are taking each drug. Is it really necessary? Adjusting your dose up or down, or substituting a different drug, might help you feel better.

Now that you understand why you need to take your meds—and you agree with your doctor that they are necessary and dosed correctly—embrace them! Sure, side effects like constipation, nausea, or peripheral neuropathy are inconvenient—even painful. But try and keep your eye on the prize: completing treatment, feeling better, and staying alive!

Change your routine. Feeling safe and knowing what to expect is comforting. It can be tempting to stay at home where you feel safe when you aren't feeling well. But becoming dependent on an ever shrinking world should concern you. Try not to become too scheduled and rigid. It will only make it harder to adjust as your medical condition changes.

Resist the temptation to sit at home and do nothing. Get out and eat lunch with friends. Shop a little. Take a walk in the park or on the beach. Visit with someone in the next room if you are staying in the hospital or nursing home. Visit with the staff at the nurses’ station.

Don’t skip breakfast. Eating breakfast will help regulate your blood sugar and keep your mood up.

Eat more raw fruits and vegetables. Then eat some more! Vitamins and antioxidants are always better in fresh, uncooked foods.

Make sure you get enough protein. Many multiple myeloma drugs make it difficult to maintain muscle mass.

Be hopeful! Researchers are making more progress in multiple myeloma therapies than any other cancer. Life expectancies are doubling every two or three years. This isn’t “pie in the sky” hope. This is real, “science is making progress and it will probably help me live longer” hope!

I could go on and on and on.

You can do this! Having multiple myeloma isn’t fun or fair. But there are good, wonderful things all around you. You just need to remember to look.

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat