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Take a Mental Vacation:
Our guide to the best in distractions

Temple of the Mind and Soul

Every person and every moment is different: On one day, a book may be the perfect thing. On another day, meditation may be better. The Cancer Center offers a Guided Imagery program, which teaches patients and caregivers a relaxation technique that combines the imagination with deep breathing.

Prayer may also be a natural choice in quiet moments. As Khadija Begum sits in the infusion waiting room, she handles a string of beads in devotion.

"I pray God takes away my pain, that the treatment is useful, that I get healthy as soon as can be," she said through an interpreter.

Gizmos for the Mental Traveler

For the Music-Lover.
Check out an iPod the next time you visit the U-M Cancer Center. Available in the Patient Education Resource Center on Level B-1, iPods and iTouches allow you to listen to music or other programming, such as National Public Radio podcasts. The iTouch models also allow you to surf the Web via the Cancer Center's guest WiFi service.

For the Game-Lover. If you think video games are just for kids, consider this: Frank Sinatra appeared in a commercial during the 1970s for a video-game system called the Magnavox Odyssey. In the ensuing years, video games have evolved to encompass nearly every kind of challenge. Yes, you can shoot 'em up. But the best games are those that challenge you to use logic to win the game. Lindsey Hardy, who accompanies a family friend to his infusion appointments, prefers racing games.

"It just helps to pass the time and keeps me more occupied," she said.

For a list of our video game suggestions, visit mcancer.org/thrive.

For the Reader.
Doug Dunham is a speed-reader who can knock out four or five books in a weekend. When Doug accompanies his wife, Jacque, to her infusion appointments for multiple myeloma, he brings along a Kindle, an electronic reading device that stores up to 1,500 books. The Kindle was a gift from Jacque, who said the device was a matter of practicality: Their bookshelves at home are overflowing. Jacque said she still enjoys the feel of turning pages, but agrees with Doug that the small, lightweight design of the Kindle is a big plus. The Kindle also allows users to adjust font sizes for easier reading.

"For him, reading is relaxation," Jacque said. "That's his yoga."

 

This article first appeared in the Spring, 2009 issue of Thrive. Read the magazine - opens as a .pdf document.