Olympic swimmer Nathan Adrian may be known for his impressive gold medals, but his achievements aren’t limited to the pool. In addition to clenching victory at the 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019 Sumer Olympics, he’s also beaten cancer and says his health battle gave him a unique perspective on the COVID-19 outbreak. In conversations with SurvivorNet, experts have relayed that cancer survivors are much more resilient than they may believe.
In January 2019, Adrian, 31, was diagnosed with testicular cancer, but thankfully it was caught early. He immediately underwent treatment which lasted a few weeks, and kept fans up to date with his progress. He came out on top, and started preparing for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. However, another obstacle appeared: the coronavirus outbreak.
Read MoreAdrian isn’t the only cancer survivor to share that sentiment. Ovarian cancer survivor Maris Schiess told SurvivorNet that while COVID-19 did cause her increased anxiety, she felt comforted by the fact that she had already faced one health risk and beaten it.
"I do find some sort of calm in having gone through not something similar, but this level of anxiety before," Scheiss says. "I know sometimes you have to put life on the back burner and worry about your health for five months, but I've been lucky to find the other side of that once before, and I have to continue to remain positive and look for that other side of this again."
Ovarian cancer survivor Maris Schiess says beating cancer prepared her for COVID-19
Cancer Survivors During COVID-19
A common theme among people during COVID-19 is an increased feeling of anxiety. That’s understandable, and often warranted, but a leading expert says that there are ways to self soothe yourself in order to cope with those emotions. One, cancer survivors or those who have been recently diagnosed should reassure themselves that they are far stronger than they might think.
“If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you are far more resilient than you believe,” says Dr. Marianna Strongin, a Clinical Psychologist and founder of Strong In Therapy.
One reason why people might be feeling anxious about COVID-19 is due to not receiving proper information about the virus. Dr. Strongin says that sometimes watching the news can make this worse, as people will end up with more questions by the end instead of having them answered. To help people seek proper information, Dr. Strongin recommends people turn to medical professionals for accurate answers to specific questions related to coronavirus.
Dr. Marianna Strongin says cancer patients and survivors are resilient
"Similarly to a cancer diagnosis, people go on the internet looking for an answer and not looking for their doctors to answer it, and what they come out with are more questions," Dr. Strongin says. "More questions equal more anxiety. So, let's all figure out what the question is, and if we can't answer it ourselves, and we can't self-soothe ourselves, let's look for a doctor that can provide us with the facts."
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
