Facing Forward After Cancer Treatment
By Flora Yong, Senior Nurse Manager, NCC
Just as cancer affects a person’s physical health, it affects the way one feels, thinks and do the things a person likes to do. Besides causing many emotions that may surprise the individual, the treatment may actually change the way the brain works. Just as the individual needs to take care of the body after treatment, the person needs to take care of his or her emotions.
Each person’s experience with cancer is different and unique, and the feelings, emotions and fears that he/she has are unique as well. The values the individual grew up with may affect how he/she thinks about and deal with cancer. Some people may feel they have to be strong and protect their friends and families. Others seek support from loved ones or other cancer survivors or turn to their faith to help them cope. Some find help from counsellors and others outside the family, while others do not feel comfortable with this approach. Whatever the individual decides, it is important to do what’s right for him/herself and not to compare with others.
Fear That Cancer Will Come Back
Worrying about the cancer recurring is normal, especially during the first year after treatment. This is one of the most common fears people have after cancer treatment. Even years after treatment, this fear may always be at the back of their minds. For some, the fear is so strong that they no longer enjoy life, sleep well, eat well, or even go to follow-up visits.
“If I get it again, what am I going to do?” one woman said. “I never thought I’d make it through the first time.”
Of course, not everyone reacts this way. As one survivor puts it, “Cancer is just part of life, and we always have hope.”
| As time goes by, many survivors report that their fear of cancer recurring becomes less and they find themselves thinking less often about their cancer. However, even years after treatment, some events can cause the individual to become worried about his/her health. These may include: |
|
Follow-up visits |
|
Anniversary events (like the date of diagnosis or had surgery or ended treatment) |
|
Birthdays |
|
Illness of a family member |
|
Symptoms similar to the ones he/she had when cancer was found |
|
The death of someone who had cancer |
|
Personal reminders. For example, one person said he used to go to a particular hawker stall after every chemotherapy treatment because the sweet potato soup they serve were the only thing he could stand to eat. After treatment he had to stop going to the stall because it reminded him of treatment and made him “sick to his stomach.” |
Thinking and talking about the feelings can be hard. Some people just want to move on. They put the thought of cancer and all that goes with it out of their minds. While it is important not to let cancer “rule your life”, it may be hard to do.
Work towards having a positive attitude. This means looking for what is good even in a bad time and try to be hopeful instead of thinking the worst. Use positive energy to focus on wellness and to do what you can to stay as healthy as possible.
|
