Surviving cancer
Woo hoo…you got there! Phew!
Medical science is advancing on a daily basis and more young people are surviving cancer and entering a stage called ‘survivorship’. Most young people living with cancer finish active treatment and with time, develop a new appetite for life. As challenging as cancer treatments are, many survivors and their loved ones come to believe that cancer was one of the most important things that ever happened to them.
The transition from active treatment to survivorship can be both an exciting and confusing time for young people living with cancer. With survivorship comes the beginning of a whole new challenge, filled with new and sometimes soul-searching questions.
- “What difference has cancer made to my life?”
- “What does it mean to have survived a life threatening disease?”
- “How does someone actually survive cancer?”
- “Does surviving cancer simply mean physically recovering from cancer?”
Lance Armstrong said ”What does survivorship mean? Once you finish treatment the doctors say ‘you’re cured, so go off and live, happy trails’. But there is no support system in place to help you deal with the emotional ramifications of trying to return to the world after being in battle for your existence. You don’t just wake up one morning and say ‘I’m done with cancer and now it’s time to go right back to the normal life I had’. What shape was my life supposed to take? What now?”
Figuring out what to do after cancer treatment is one of the hardest things for a cancer survivor to do….. . It’s a common feeling just to want to take some time to chill out and do something for yourself. Some people feel like they have fought a battle for so long and now need the time to take a rest. Other survivors want to return immediately to their previous life.
Just remember though, sometimes our expectations will not always be met. Living with cancer is a big deal and things may not just fall back into place. With time it will get easier and there are many things around the corner to look forward to!!
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