She massages her arm to further prevent swelling. But as nerves cut in surgery gradually regenerated, so did her energetic playing style. It causes the arm muscles to contract, so it helps with the edema. Anderson used the Internet to learn more about cancer, and to chat with other survivors, including a member of the Vancouver Symphony. She helped design her own recovery plan, which includes deep breathing, meditation and guided imagery, keeping a journal, sketching and renting funny movies.
Laughter is so important in healing.
She told family and friends that she refused to deal with her illness alone. You can feel extremely isolated with this disease. It's amazing the kind of support that wakes up and surrounds you. One of the most difficult aspects of her treatment, she says, was losing her signature waist-length hair from chemotherapy. She prepared herself by having her hair cut in stages before treatment began.