We don’t necessarily need a designated month to remind us how important emotional resilience is to our quality of life. Keeping a clear mental perspective affects our overall wellness, as well as our relationships with family and friends. But, it can be hard to navigate the day-to-day with a rare cancer diagnosis that, on all accounts to others, is over…right? People ask: You had your appendix out, and the cancer’s gone, right? So, you’re cured, right?

Learning how to juggle anger, frustration, confusion, and despair with gratitude, happiness, and HOPE are part of our daily paradigm. But, we don’t have to go it alone. That’s why we log in to HOPE Zoom every so often, to check in with our tribe, those who understand what it’s like to live beyond an appendix cancer diagnosis. Here are a few tools to add to your mental health toolbox, compliments of Mental Health America:

• Dealing with tough situations (PDF)
• Looking for good (PDF)
• Managing frustration and anger (PDF)
• Processing trauma and stress (PDF)
• Coloring pages (PDF)
• Preparing for difficult conversations

The National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD) also has a local resources state directory of various health services you can search.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the value of talking with a mental health professional. Talk with your physician or medical team about securing time with a clinician specialized in long-term illness and cancer survivorship. Conversation is just one tool we have to build the emotional resilience we need to go the distance with appendix cancer. Let’s have those talks year-round.