Congratulations on Finishing Your Cancer Treatment
What Is "Normal" After Treatment?
"I thought when I'd finished
treatment--when they looked at my
tests and they said it looked good -
I thought, OK, I'm done.
But now I'm starting to realize
that it's not over."
- Jane
The end of cancer treatment is often a time to rejoice. You are probably relieved to
be finished with the demands of treatment and are ready to put the experience
behind you. Yet at the same time, you may feel sad and worried. It's common to
be concerned about whether the cancer will come back and what you should do
after treatment.
When treatment ends, you may expect life to return to the way it was before you
were diagnosed with cancer. But it can take time to recover. You may have
permanent scars on your body, or you may not be able to do some things you
once did easily. Or you may even have emotional scars from going through so
much. You may find that others think of you differently now - or you may view
yourself in a different way.
One of the hardest things after treatment is not knowing what happens next.
"Because the doctors and nurses never told
me what to expect, I had very unrealistic
expectations of wellness, and so did my
family and friends. This led to a great deal
of worry."
- Bob
Those who have gone through cancer treatment describe the first few months as
a time of change. It's not so much "getting back to normal" as it is finding out
what's normal for you now. People often say that life has new meaning or that
they look at things differently now. You can also expect things to keep changing
as you begin your recovery.
Your new "normal" may include making changes in the way you eat, the things
you do, and your sources of support, all of which are discussed in this booklet.
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