What Happens After Cancer?

A lot of people talk about the process of diagnosis and treatment when they talk about cancer. It’s understandable. Those are both huge and unknown things, and they can have a massive impact on your life. But there’s one area we don’t see discussed as often – the aftermath. What happens once you’ve finished your treatments and been told you’re in remission. Because when your life has revolved around cancer symptoms, treatments and management, going back to normal life might not feel possible.

But don’t worry, it is.

How You Might Feel After Cancer

How you feel after finishing cancer varies from person to person, just like the rest of the cancer journey. Some people feel ready to get on with life right after their last treatment. Others are a bit more nervous or anxious about the future and how they fit into it. Some feel emotionally drained and exhausted by the whole process, and others might have developed a new persistent worry about their general health. There are also a lot of people who find it difficult not meeting with their cancer teams as often, feeling as though a security blanket has been pulled away.

All of those are valid, and normal responses.

This is a time of big change in your life, and you’re finding out what normal means for you now (or finding your ‘new normal’). And that’s not a simple task! There are so many things to think about, like:

• Going back to work or to education

• Doing exercise again

• Starting your hobbies again

• Spending more time with family or friends

Our best advice is to take it slowly. Don’t expect too much from yourself too soon. Your treatment might be over, but there will still be good days and bad days, so try not to put pressure on yourself to be ‘back to normal’ right away.

After all, you’ll need time to physically recover, as well as mentally. Cancer treatments aren’t easy on your body, so you’ll need to take activity very slowly and lightly at first. You’ll also need time to process what you’ve been through, which can be incredibly difficult. Remember that there is a lot of support out there, and you can always reach out to your cancer team or your GP if you feel you need help.

Health Check-Ins

Once you’ve been told you’re in remission, it means that the signs and symptoms of your cancer have lessened and disappeared. Notice that we haven’t said the word ‘cure’ yet, because even though some cancers can be cured, there is still a chance that they could come back, which is why most doctors will say ‘remission’.

Remission means that you will still need to be monitored, as there are a lot of cancers that can come back (called recurrence), and the quicker this is caught, the better. How this is managed will depend on the type of cancer you had, your age, your general health and any other factors your cancer team feels are relevant. Some people have scans once a year to check for recurrence – this is especially common for people who have had tumours surgically removed. Others will need to have regular blood tests or other exams like CTs or MRIs.

Using these tools, your cancer team can monitor your recovery and help you manage any long-term side effects of your treatment. Because yes, there are some long-term side effects, which will depend on both the type of cancer and the treatment you had. Again, your cancer team will talk you through these and help you manage them, and self-manage them too.

Self-Management

Post-cancer, you will also be advised to take a more active role in your own care. Not only is this important for recovery, but it can be very empowering to take control of what’s happening to you. Again, this looks different for everyone, but is often includes learning more about your condition and how it affects your life, what lifestyle changes you could make to help, and even going on training courses that can help you to manage your health. Your healthcare team can provide you with lots of information and links to local courses to do this, so remember to reach out and ask.

One of the courses we’ve heard great things about is the HOPE course from Macmillan. It’s an online 6-week self-management course, developed by Macmillan to support people living with cancer. You can find out more about it here.

Moving Forward

The thing is, the cancer journey never really ends. There will still be monitoring and health visits, and you’ll still have to declare it on every medical form you fill in from now on. The experience will probably have changed your whole outlook on life, the way you feel things or react to situations. It might have affected the relationships you have, or changed your priorities for life in ways no one could have predicted. So, it’s important to remember that your feelings are valid, and adjustment isn’t an overnight process. Give yourself the time and grace to find your new normal. However that might look.

And if that means taking some time away with your family to figure that out, then Jill’s Fundraising Journey are here to help. We provide free holidays to families affected by a cancer diagnosis, so you can focus on spending the time reconnecting, bonding, and discovering the new you.

Find out more and apply here.