So my Mom has been diagnosed with stage 4 Lung Cancer. She is 85. She has decided to start Chemo on Thursday. Ever since she was diagnosed I've been going to stay w/ my parents to see her and help them cope for a few days a week. I've pretty much put most of my own life on hold. All I want to do is eat myself into a coma. The drive down and back is about 2.5 hours and I always have to stop at a Wawa for a pit stop. Then I end up buying junk food, especially on the way home cuz I'm also sleep deprived and probably slightly dehydrated. I've never learned how to calm myself or cope with intense stress and sadness other than with food. Yoga helps but it's not enough. I'm considering asking my Dr about an antidepressant but have had some adverse reactions in the past. I want to get a pedicure but time and money hasn't been available. Any inexpensive suggestions for coping sans food are greatly appreciated.

I'm sorry you're struggling through such a tough period. I can tell you're from the NY/NJ/PA area because you mentioned Wawa. Wawa actually has some great choices that will help you stay on track. They always have fresh fruit in the stores. You can get a sub sandwich but ask them to leave the bun off and put it in one of the little bowls instead. They also sometimes have hot roast beef or hot turkey bowls that are in a nice rich sauce that definitely qualifies as comfort food. You can usually find Vitamin Water Zero there for a nice change of pace from just bottled water. And you can always pick up almonds in the little single serving (or for me, two serving) packs.

When I'm driving long distances like that, I try to stop at a rest stop at least half way through and find a bench and do a lot of all-over body stretches... I do a modified downward-dog putting my hands on the picnic table and bending over (hard to describe). Do arm stretches and leg stretches... really helps you loosen up from the tension of driving.

As far as non-food treats go -- check to see if there is a massage therapy school in your area... they have really low-cost massages sometimes. Or beauty schools and get some new hairdo or coloring. A friend goes to a local school like that and her hair always looks fabulous and it's very inexpensive. You might also see if there are some family caregiver support groups at your local hospitals. It might help you to hear that you aren't alone in the struggle.

Best wishes!

My husband had to have open heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota a couple of weeks ago. I was VERY worried about how this would effect my weight. My triggers for eating have always been boredom and stress. I was going to have a lot of both. I started buying sugar free gum and breath mints. I made sure I had a couple bottles of water to drink in the car. The nervous eating was taken care of by the gum and mints. To my amazement, I actually lost weight over the week we were in the hospital. I made a point of getting a walk in everyday, but other than that did not get any other exercise. This is a very stressful time for you and your family. Take some time to take care of yourself.