A New Beginning: Cancer Survivorship

If you have recently received the good news that your cancer is gone, and your treatments are over –CONGRATULATIONS! This news can come with many big feelings. You may feel relief and happiness, but it is also normal to feel anxious, emotional, and worried about what comes next.

As you start to navigate this new phase of the cancer journey, please keep some things in mind. Everyone handles changes differently, and now that you will not be seeing your oncologist and cancer team as often, it is normal to start having concerns popping up that make you anxious or worried.

It would be best if you started your journey by taking account of what your new normal looks like:

• for your body (you might have some lingering side effects from treatment),
• your emotions (you might feel overwhelmed with sadness, anger, or fear from emotions that were put aside during cancer treatment when they come flooding back all at once),
• and your role in your family (things you were responsible for doing before cancer are now being done by other members of your family).

All these feelings associated with that “new normal” make sense. You have just been through a challenging time. You have had to make some major life decisions. Your body has been battered by cancer and its treatment. Your outlook and your whole way of life have changed, at least for a time.

Facing these feelings and learning how to deal with them is essential. Don’t expect everything to go back to the way it was before you were diagnosed. Give yourself, your family, and those around your time. Just like it took time to adjust to cancer, you can adjust to life after cancer. Here are some useful tips on how to handle your emotions after cancer from the American Cancer Society that can help guide you in your journey with dealing with anxiety post-cancer treatment.

Be informed. Learn what you can do for your health now and about the services available to you. This can give you a greater sense of control.

Keep all your healthcare appointments with your provider because a lot of the cancer treatments can cause issues for you later in your health journey. Be open with your provider regarding your lingering side effects and ask for recommendations to minimize the side effects.

Be aware that you do not have control over cancer recurrence. It helps to accept this rather than fight it.

Be aware of your fears, but don’t judge them. Practice letting them go. It is normal for fear to enter your mind, but you do not have to keep it there.

Express your feelings of fear or uncertainty with a trusted friend or counselor. Being open and dealing with emotions helps many people feel less worried. People have found that when they express strong feelings, like fear, they can better let go of these feelings. Thinking and talking about your feelings can be challenging. But if you find cancer is taking over your life, it often helps to find a way to express your feelings.

Rather than thinking of an uncertain future or a difficult past, enjoy the present moment. If you can find a way to feel peaceful inside yourself, even for a few minutes a day, you can start to recall that peace when other things are happening—when life is busy and confusing.

Use your energy to focus on wellness and what you can do now to stay as healthy as possible. Try to make healthy diet changes. If you smoke, this is a good time to quit. Find ways to help yourself relax. Be as physically active as you can.

Control what you can. Some say that restoring their lives in order makes them feel less fearful. Being involved in your health care, getting back to your normal life, and changing your lifestyle are among the things you can control. Even setting a daily schedule can give you more power. And while no one can control every thought, some say they have resolved not to dwell on the fearful ones.

Be honest with your family about how you feel so that you can directly address each of your concerns and worries and reach out to others who have had your experience. Join a support group for a community that understands your journey. You can reach out to the Lake Charles Memorial Cancer Support Group. Come to one of our meetings to make friends with others who have had similar experiences to your cancer journey.

Resources for this article:

American Cancer Society. (2016). Life After Cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/survivorship/be-healthy-after-treatment/life-after-cancer.html

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