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Managing Treatment > Getting Into a Routine

Getting Into a Routine

Living with melanoma can impact your life physically and emotionally. This can make it especially hard to get into a treatment routine.

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Whether you are taking an oral medication or an infused treatment, here are some ideas to help you stick to your treatment routine:

  • Set reminders on your phone or other devices1 
  • Link taking medicine to something you do every day, such as brushing your teeth2
  • Put your medicine in an appropriate and safe place where you will see it when you need to take it.2 Ask a family member to remind you to take your medicine.3
  • Identify how you will get to and from your infusion appointment. You may need to consider asking people for help with transportation.
  • Think about how you can keep yourself occupied when you are at the infusion appointment. Perhaps you can bring a good book to read or your tablet or phone to watch a video.

Regardless of how your treatment is administered, one of the best ways to stick to your treatment routine is to anticipate any difficulties you might have following it. Think about things that might get in the way of your treatment plan, like being away from home or having some type of change to your daily routine. That way, you can prepare for them ahead of time. 4

It can also help to think about your goals—the things you’re working toward.5 Perhaps you are:

  • Looking forward to enjoying time with family and friends
  • Planning to attend a special event, like a loved one’s wedding or graduation
  • Wanting to be your best self so you can be there for your family. Working toward your goals can encourage you to stick with your treatment routine.

REFERENCES

  1. Drugs.com. 8 creative ways to remember to take your medicine every day. https://www.drugs.com/article/taking-your-medicine.html.
  2. Children’s Mercy Kansas City. Remembering to take your medication. https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/gastroenterology/documents/IBD/Mercy-Adherence-Handouts.pdf.
  3. National Institutes of Health. Taking medicine at home ‑ create a routine. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000613.htm.
  4. WebMD. How to manage your medications while you travel. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/travel-medication#1.
  5. National Cancer Institute. Keep up with your daily routine. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/day-to-day/daily-routine.