When you have been diagnosed with cancer, it can be a very overwhelming experience. For many, the focus is on getting through the treatments, and then life will return to normal. However, life after cancer treatment can be quite different than before, and there are some things that they never tell you about living with this diagnosis. Here are five things to consider when you are living with cancer.
1. New Challenges:
One of the biggest challenges that many face after cancer is the fear of recurrence. This can be a very real fear, and can sometimes cause anxiety and depression. It is important to remember that while recurrence is a possibility, it is not inevitable. Learning to cope with this fear can be difficult, but there are many resources available to help you through this difficult time.
2. Unexpected Benefits:
While living with cancer can be challenging, there can also be unexpected benefits. For example, many people find that they have a newfound appreciation for life after cancer. They may also have a better understanding of their own mortality, which can lead to a greater appreciation for life’s little moments. Additionally, living with cancer can help you develop a greater empathy for others who are facing difficult situations.
Living with cancer is a difficult journey, and there are many things that they never tell you about life after cancer. However, it is important to remember that there can be unexpected benefits, and that there are many resources available to help you cope with the challenges that come with this diagnosis.
Cancer is a difficult road to endure, and many have been able to come out on the other side. However, life post-cancer is often filled with challenges that many cancer survivors don’t talk about. Here are the 5 things they never tell you about life after cancer:
1. Financial strain – After fighting cancer, many survivors face mounting bills and accompanying debt, which strains their finances. This can be particularly frightening if the cancer survivor is a household’s primary wage earner.
2. Difficulty finding or keeping a job – Cancer survivors may have taken leave from their job while they were undergoing treatment, leaving them behind their coworkers in terms of advancement opportunities. Additionally, whether the survivor self-discloses their cancer history to a potential employer or not, often times the survivor may still face bias in the workplace.
3. Uncertainty surrounding health – Survivors may find it difficult to trust their bodies and medical claims, which can lead to feelings of anxiety and fear. Furthermore, many post-cancer treatments leave survivors vulnerable to side-effects and secondary illnesses, further exacerbating any stress that the survivor may be feeling.
4. Social life disruptions – Cancer survivors often face judgment from friends and family members who worry about helping the survivor or saying the wrong thing. This can strain the survivor’s friendships, making it hard to maintain the same level of companionship as pre-cancer life.
5. Emotional exhaustion – Once cancer is in the past, it may leave psychological wounds that are not as easy to heal. Many survivors experience feelings of depression, guilt, fear, and isolation that can take a toll on their emotional wellbeing.
Cancer survivors may come out of the medical battle, but they still face a grueling journey of recuperation. These five things that they rarely tell you about life after cancer reveal just how difficult of a process it can be.