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Overview
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"You need to find out all that you
can about not only what happens
during treatment, but what to
expect right afterwards--so you
don't get depressed when it
doesn't magically all go away."
- Evan
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Each caregiver has a unique response to having had a loved one with
cancer. This booklet was written to share common feelings and reactions
that many caregivers just like you have had after treatment ended. It also
offers some practical tips to help you through this time. Use this booklet
in whatever way works best for you. You can read it from front to back.
Or you can just refer to different sections as you need them.
It's important for caregivers to understand that even though treatment
has ended, cancer survivors are still coping with a lot. Often they are
still dealing with side effects from treatment and learning how to adjust
to the many other changes they have gone through. They may not
be returning back to normal life as soon as they, and perhaps you,
had hoped.
As a caregiver, it can help you, friends, and family members to recognize
the issues cancer survivors are facing. For this reason, we encourage you
to read the NCI booklet,
Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment. This
booklet covers issues for the survivor that happen after treatment ends.
Concerns include follow-up medical care, physical and emotional
changes, changes in social relationships, and workplace issues. Reading
the booklet may help you understand the things people face after
treatment, and allow you to better understand their perspectives.
Terms Used: This booklet uses the terms "loved one" and "patient"
throughout to describe the person you are caring for. In addition, for
ease of reading, we alternate using the pronouns "he" and "she" when
referring to the person with cancer.
Here are other NCI booklets for caregivers that can be ordered or
printed from the Web. See the inside cover to order.
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