When cancer treatment ends people begin a new chapter in their lives, one that can bring hope and happiness but also fears and worries along with it.
Hence no two people are alike and each individual has his or her own way of coping up and experiences to manage these emotions. However, it takes time and practice to heal with it.
One probably might be concerned that cancer can come back and you might find yourself thinking about death and dying all over again. The fear of cancer coming back is quite common among cancer survivors and can sometimes be pretty intense.
These fears and anxiety might lead to unexpected causes of concern, for example, one might be stressed by financial concerns resulting from the treatment and these things might make the cancer survivors more anxious.
However, some people are better prepared for life after cancer than others. But everyone can benefit from help and support from other people, whether friends and family, religious groups, support groups, professional counselors or others.
How is it from going back to “normal”?
It’s quite normal that cancer survivors have been seeing their cancer care team quite often, but now suddenly they don’t have to visit for many months at a time. It is only the time when the treatment is done, thus some people feel like they are no longer fighting cancer, hence, worries can set in. This is the time when one might feel alone or lost without the support of the cancer care team.
As these people become an important part of their lives and not seeing them might make them anxious and sad.
The patient may also find that going back to your role in the family is not as easy as you thought it would be. Things that you did before your cancer are now being done by others. Maybe they’re not willing to give your tasks back to you. Or maybe you disagree with how others have done things, but are afraid to say anything.
“Cancer diagnosis is like a shock for the cancer patients be it in any age. But now-a-days with the development in technologies and cancer treatments, the cancer survivors have improved a lot and after getting to normal life, they are leading a better life. In fact, when I meet some of my patients I really get inspired by them as they start giving value to the smallest things in life,” explained Dr. Vineeta Goel – Director & HOD, Radiation Oncology, Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh.
