There are productive ways for cancer survivors to live with the ongoing fear of recurrence.
BY Barbara Tako
PUBLISHED March 28, 2018
Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools–We'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com or www.clutterclearingchoices.com.
Cancer survivors regularly face the thought: "I am afraid my cancer will return." It is our "new normal" truth, and yes, I still don't like that term. Still, it is helpful to honestly and openly face the fear, and every time I face it, a little bit of the fear converts from fear to wisdom. Fear of recurrence is a reminder of a couple of life's truths that most people do not want to regularly face:
1. We are mortal.
2. We are not as in charge of our lives as we like to pretend.
Humans do not like to live with uncertainty. We like routines and habits and plans and goals. Fear of recurrence consigns cancer survivors to a life of uncertainty. Facing this fear can help us to convert it to wisdom, regardless of our chronological age. Suddenly we are awake in a room full of sleepers. We can work with that.
1. We are mortal.
2. We are not as in charge of our lives as we like to pretend.
Humans do not like to live with uncertainty. We like routines and habits and plans and goals. Fear of recurrence consigns cancer survivors to a life of uncertainty. Facing this fear can help us to convert it to wisdom, regardless of our chronological age. Suddenly we are awake in a room full of sleepers. We can work with that.
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