Embracing Survivorship
How to Take Charge of Your Life after Cancer Treatment
“Congratulations! We’ll see you in six months.” These are the words you’ve been waiting to hear since the moment you were diagnosed with cancer. But all these months later, after you’ve grown accustomed to weekly phone calls and visits with your medical team, this once anticipated proclamation might evoke an unexpected emotional response.
You would think the end of treatment would make you want to celebrate, but when the time comes, you may be surprised to find yourself overwhelmed with feelings of fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability, not to mention lingering treatment-related side effects. To make matters worse, your friends and family may not understand why you feel this way. You’re finished with treatment; you’ll soon be getting back to work, family responsibilities, and life as it used to be. But things have changed. Your life will never be like it used to be. You’re now a cancer survivor.
You’ll be glad to know that many cancer survivors come through treatment with a feeling of accomplishment, a renewed sense of purpose, or a new outlook on life. This may translate into a new career, a commitment to spending more time with the ones you love, or a charge to give back to others taking this cancer journey. Other survivors are eager to pick back up where they left off when cancer came calling.
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