March
The power of data.
In March, after I had gone through a few rounds of chemo, I challenged myself to use the technology I had available to help aid me through treatment. By doing so, I realized how powerful of a tool I had literally at my fingertips: an Oura Ring.
My wife gifted me an Oura Ring a few years ago, and I have worn it every day since. If you are unfamiliar, an Oura Ring is a health-tracking device. By analyzing things such as heart rate, body temperature, movement, and numerous aspects of sleep, the ring provides personal scores in three categories: Readiness, Sleep, and Activity. Through these metrics, Oura helps people understand how they are doing physically. How did you sleep last night? Are you well rested? Are you getting sick? Is it time to push yourself? These insights help users make the best decisions for their health.
Prior to using my ring to help me through cancer treatment, the data Oura provided had already helped me tremendously.
Before I had an Oura Ring, I thought my day was ruined when I woke after what I believed was a “bad” night's sleep. This mind trap alone would often unhinge my day. Once I had a couple of “bad” nights of sleep with my ring and got my sleep score, I realized I was okay.
Through these insights, I could base my day on data rather than a mindset. I may have been more tired on low-score days, but I was not anxious or troubled. I realized that the mental toll of a lousy night's sleep for me was often based on a misconception.
Unfortunately, months before I was diagnosed with cancer, I ignored clear warning signs that my Oura data was giving me. What you see in the next photo is the trend in my body temperature for the first part of 2022. The second picture is my body temperature for fall of 2022.
Hindsight is one of the few things that is always perfect. Nonetheless, it is clear that something was very off in the later part of the year. Looking back, I should have taken action sooner on the troubling data my ring presented me with.
During my treatment, I was immunocompromised for a significant part of six months. As a result, one of my biggest anxieties was getting sick. And the biggest alleviator of that fear was my Oura data. Through different metrics, I was essentially able to see inside my body. Every day, I could see facts indicating if I was getting sick. When I saw data pointing to me becoming under the weather, I ensured I gave myself the extra rest I needed. Not only did this data help ease my worries about getting ill, but it also helped me make the most of my good days. When I saw that my body was doing well, I did what I could to take advantage of these days.
Through a feature in Oura, I also started tagging my symptoms post-chemo. I logged notes such as "nauseous," "fatigue,” and more. By using these notes and tying them to specific days after an infusion, I was able to understand what to expect daily.
My Oura Ring was one of my biggest aids during my cancer treatment. It helped provide me peace of mind and allowed me to make the most of my good days. And after I had enough data, it allowed me to anticipate how I would feel on certain days. My Oura Ring may be a small device on my finger, but its impact on my life has been enormous.
