9 Ways to Connect With Loved Ones When You Have Lung Cancer

Time is precious when you have late-stage small-cell lung cancer. Make the most of every moment with family and friends. Now is the time to strengthen connections you already have and build new ones. Even if you don't have much energy, there are still things you can do together. Try these nine low-energy, low-impact, and low-cost activities. They're good ways to spend time and build memories with the special people in your life. 

A long walk might take more energy than you can spare right now. But you don't have to go far. Ask a friend, child, or your partner to join you for a stroll down the block. Or just walk to the end of the driveway and back. Walking is exercise. Any exercise you do will give you more energy and improve your mood. Use the time together to have deep conversations. Share all the things you've wanted to say but didn't have a chance to in the past.

Bring movie night home when you can't get out to the theater. A movie offers comfort, joy, and emotional release. It takes your mind off your cancer for a couple of hours. Choose a film that's familiar, uplifting, or funny. When you watch at home you can talk all the way through the movie. Reminisce and laugh together. If your friend or family member lives far away, set up a web chat or video call to watch a movie or favorite TV show together.

Even if you can't be in the same room with your loved ones, you can stay connected to them. Bring long-distance family and friends closer with a group chat. It's an easy way to keep in touch and prevent loneliness. Set up the chat on an app like Messenger or WhatsApp, or on a platform such as CaringBridge or My LifeLine. Ask your partner, another family member, or a friend to manage the chat.

Music heals the mind and body. It also brings people together. One way to build connection through music is to create a family playlist. Apps like Spotify and YouTube allow each person to add songs that have special meaning or that recall happy memories of times spent together. Your group mixtape might include songs from a road trip you took together, a family wedding, or a backyard cookout. A playlist is also a way to preserve your legacy.

You don't need a plane or car: Technology will take you wherever you want to go. Invite your family over or use a computer at your local library to explore all kinds of destinations. Google Arts & Culture lets you walk around museums all over the world. On sites like Virtual Vacation and Citywalki you can drive through Naples, explore a marketplace in Marrakesh, or fly over Addis Ababa for free. You can even explore NASA’s International Space Station.

A memory box is a way to preserve memories for your children, partner, and friends. Use any size or type of box, from a big chest to a shoebox. Get together as a group and fill it with things that are special to all of you. Photos you took together throughout the years. Postcards you sent them or they sent you. Mementos from family vacations. Another place to store memories is on a USB drive or in a computer file.

Gardening is a low-impact activity that's good for both body and mind. The exercise you get when you dig, weed, and rake improves your cardiovascular health and strengthens your muscles. Gardening also improves your mental health. Time outdoors lowers your heart rate, relaxes tense muscles, and eases stress and anxiety. It also gives you time to talk and build more meaningful connections.

Yoga is a gentle, low-impact exercise program that can benefit people with lung cancer and their loved ones. Yoga reduces anxiety and stress, relieves tiredness, and improves emotional well-being. Some yoga programs let you practice with a partner. Take a yoga class either online or in person with a loved one so you can both relax and strengthen your connection through movement and touch. Ask your doctor to suggest a safe program for you.

Sit on your front porch, walk on the beach, or just look out the window in the early morning. Sunrise is the perfect time for fresh starts and new beginnings. As the sun peeks over the horizon, take a moment to appreciate your life. Think of all the beautiful sunrises you've watched in the past. Feel gratitude for each new day you're given. Share this moment with someone you love and let them know how much every day with them has meant to you.