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Life After Cancer | Finding a New Normal

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I Beat Cancer So Now What?

I felt relieved when I finally won my second battle with Stage IV Lymphoma in 2006, but I also experienced mixed feelings. For two years, I was focused on beating my illness. I beat it, so now what?

Winning the battle against cancer is a triumphant feeling for many cancer survivors. You beat cancer, so now what? In my involvement in support groups, I often hear from both survivors and families on the challenges of adjusting to life after cancer. For one thing, life after cancer changes you. One moment you're fighting full speed ahead in the battle of your life -- then after your cancer treatments end, you are on your own. Returning where you left off for many cancer survivors is not always possible

There is an emotional toll from being a cancer patient to becoming a cancer survivor, which can be daunting. Finding a "new normal" after cancer is possible. However, it takes time and patience. With this lens, I share tips, information and links for cancer survivors on life after cancer and finding a new normal.

Credit: Lymphoma Shirt Courtesy of CancerApparelGifts.Com

Normal?

For some cancer survivors, "Normal" may mean going back to exactly how your life used to be. For others, it may be challenging to return to life as it was prior to cancer. These individuals will need to seek a "new" normal after cancer.

My Coping Tips on Life After Cancer

Be kind to yourself during this time. Don't expect to feel great about everything. Go slowly so you can come to terms with all you have been through and what lies ahead.

1. Take it one day at a time
2. Give yourself time to adjust
3. Spend some time outdoors
4. Get your exercise
5. Don't dwell on what you can't do but on what you can do
6. Expect both good days and challenging days
7. Be patient
8. Join a support group
9. Use this time to learn what really matters to you.

You Survived Cancer, Wear it!

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Grunge Winged Ribbon Breast Cancer Survivor shirt    Grunge Winged Ribbon Prostate Cancer Survivor shirt

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Important!

The Most Important Thing

Allow yourself time to adjust to life after cancer. Be kind to yourself during this time. Don't expect to feel great about
everything. Try to 'listen' to your feelings and accept them as they happen.

How do you adjust to Life After Cancer?

Share your tips!

Some cancer survivors struggle with finding a new "normal" after cancer treatment is over. Share with us your struggles or triumphs with life after cancer.

How do you adjust to life after cancer?

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Doing well and adjusting normally

Nancy says:

I have befriended several people who are newly diagnosed and have tried to answer questions and comfort them during their process. Even with a supportive family and friends, I think it helps to have someone who has been through the process that kind of "speaks the same language". I think it also helps me appreciate what I've been through and what an enormous accomplishment it is to be a survivor. Instead of going back to my old "normal", my new "normal" is appreciating life a lot more!

Posted April 28, 2011

taylor says:

Like you, it took awhile. It was in interesting journey and I learned alot about myself, my family and friends. One day I decided to quit being a victim and live one day at a time. Once I let go of the fear, I felt liberated and free. ll year survivor and ten years of doing Relay. I now have a fb page called the Bigfork Hope Warriors to encourage others who fight the battle or just to share. You have a Good website. all the best to you taylor

Posted April 13, 2011

Candace says:

I am a 3 year survivor. My way of coping is by helping other breast cancer patients who are still in treatment. I became the president of the Young Survivor Sisters, a support group for young women with breast cancer. I wrote a long tip list (64 pages) of everything that helped me in my fight. I give that list to others that I meet. I am also working with HappyChemo.com. They are a network of companies that are supporting all types of cancer patients by offering them discounts on their products and services. Basically giving back to others is my therapy.

Posted January 18, 2011

PaulOnBooks says:

Not speaking from experience but one way would probably be to read pages like this,

Posted January 10, 2011

Need more time to find a new "normal"

jmsp206 says:

I would say after something mammoth like this it would take time to adjust to a normal lifestyle.

Posted January 11, 2011

hopedreams says:

Although it has been 4.5 years, I still find myself in between both doing well but also needing time to adjust.

Posted January 10, 2011

 

The New Normal

Source: Cancer Society

Just as everyone's cancer experience is unique, adjusting to life after treatment will be unique as well. For some people, depending on whether they feel their cancer experience has changed them, "normal" may mean going back to exactly how their life used to be. For them, the best thing about treatment ending will be getting back to their regular routine and ways of doing things.

For others, it's not that simple. You may no longer feel sick, but you might not be feeling that great either. Your values and priorities might have changed. Material things may be less important to you than spending time with family and friends, or enjoying favourite pastimes. You may find that you're somewhere in-between. In some areas of life, your new "normal" is very different, and in other areas, things go back to exactly what they used to be. One way isn't better than the other - the most important thing is figuring out what works for you.

Get the Booket

Making Positive Lifestyle Changes After a Cancer Diagnosis

Source: cancer.net

Whether you choose to pursue small or large goals, your journey will require determination and perseverance when inevitable failures occur. Here are several tips for staying on course:

1. Start small. Focus on what you are doing now to reach your ultimate goals by breaking long-term goals into smaller, more manageable goals.

2. Prioritize goals to stay focused, and avoid being overwhelmed by too many choices.

3. Have a positive attitude, and believe that your goals are possible and within reach. You need to believe in your goals to make them happen.

4. Pace yourself and recognize that achieving your goals may take time.

5. Expect setbacks and prepare for ways to deal with challenges that may arise while trying to meet your goals.

6. Learn from your mistakes.

7. Take credit for success when you make progress or achieve a goal. Reward yourself frequently so you can feel good about the effort.

8. Consider meeting with a counselor, who can help you set goals, solve problems, and manage complex emotions. Learn how to find a counselor.

9. Share your goals and journey with friends or relatives. Ask them to help you stay motivated and focused on your goal.

10. Enjoy yourself!

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What Is "Normal" After Cancer Treatment?

Those who have gone through cancer treatment describe the first few months as a time of change. It's not so much "getting back to normal" as it is finding out what's normal for you now. People often say that life has new meaning or that they look at things differently now. You can also expect things to keep changing as you begin your recovery.

Your new "normal" may include making changes in the way you eat, the things you do, and your sources of support, all of which are discussed in this booklet

Strength

Each of us need to find that inner strength and take from it to find a new appreciation for our second chance at life. We must not feel compelled to pick up exactly where we left off and instead move towards creating a new life.

Believe Inspirational Gifts

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“Whether You Think You Can Or Think You Can't, You're Right - Henry Ford”

Living beyond a cancer diagnosis: Finding your "new normal"

American Cancer Society.

Consider the following tips from the American Cancer Society.

1. Be kind to yourself. Focus on what you can do.
2. Reach out to others. Reaching out to someone else can reduce stress.
3. Don't be afraid to say no. Polite but firm refusals help you stay in control of your life.
4. Talk about your concerns.
5. Learn to pace yourself. Stop before you get tired.
6. Give in sometimes. Not every argument is worth winning.
7. Get enough exercise. It's a great way to get rid of tension in a positive way.
8. Take time for activities you enjoy.
9. Set priorities. You can't do everything at once.
10. Take one thing at a time. If you're feeling overwhelmed, divide your list into manageable pieces.
11. Having a plan can reduce the stress of the problem.
12. Eat properly.
13. Get enough sleep.

What is Follow Up Care?

Source: Cancer.Gov

The main purpose of follow-up care is to check if your cancer has returned (recurrence) or if it has spread to another part of your body (metastasis). Follow-up care can also help in:

a) Finding other types of cancer
b) Spotting side effects from treatment now or that can develop years after treatment

Follow-up care means seeing a doctor to get regular medical checkups. At these visits, your doctor will:

a) Review your medical history
b) Examine your body

Your doctor may run follow-up tests:
a) Imaging procedures (ways of producing pictures of areas inside the body)
b) Endoscopy (the use of a thin, lighted tube to examine organs inside the body)
c) Blood tests

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Talk to someone!

After cancer treatment ends, there are so many mixed emotions involved from the fear that cancer will come back to feeling stress, depressed, angry, alone and anxious. You can learn to cope by talking to someone who understands. Check the post it note below for tips.

1. Join a support group
2. Find meaning through faith, religion or spirituality
3. Talk to a therapist or a good friend
4. Blog your story to help others

Adjusting to life after cancer

Amy Grose, LICSW, psychosocial program leader in the Lance Armstrong Foundation Adult Survivorship Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, talks about the impact of cancer on patients and their families, fear of cancer recurrence, and the little-discussed challenges of cancer survivorship.
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Celebrity Cancer Survivors

Celebrities who beat cancer!

Cancer affects everyone from young to old to famous and not-so-famous. This is a list of celebrity cancer survivors who faced and fought cancer and won!

Christina Applegate, Breast Cancer Survivor
Lance Armstrong, Testicular Cancer Survivor
Sheryl Crow, Breast Cancer Survivor
Sharon Osbourne, Colon Cancer Survivor
Steve Jobs, Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
Cynthia Nixon, Breast Cancer Survivor
Kathy Bates, Ovarian Cancer Survivor
Fran Drescher, Uterine Cancer Survivor
Tom Green, Testicular Cancer Survivor
Kylie Minogue, Breast Cancer Survivor
Robert DeNiro, Prostate Cancer Survivor
Melissa Etheridge, Breast Cancer Survivor
Suzanne Sommers, Breast Cancer Survivor
Marissa Jaret Winokur, Cervical Cancer Survivor
Mr. T, Lymphoma Survivor
Rod Stewart, Thyroid Cancer Survivor
Cybil Sheperd, Melanoma Survivor
Olivia Newton-John, Breast Cancer Survivor
Scott Hamilton, Testicular Cancer
Edie Falco, Breast Cancer Survivor
Roger Ebert, Salivary Gland Cancer Survivor
Jacklyn Smith, Breast Cancer Survivor
Carly Simon, Breast Cancer Survivor

There are both good days and bad days

It can be exhausting to try to act as if you're feeling great. You may have days when you feel down. Other days you may feel angry, fearful or frustrated. This is okay. Try to 'listen' to your feelings and accept them as they happen. It is better not to ignore negative thoughts but try to work through them. Most cancer survivors say that they do feel better with time. But it usually doesn't happen overnight - so don't expect too much from yourself too soon. Be patient.

“You never get back to the normal you knew before you had cancer. It's a series of evolution”

Learning to Move Forward

Life After Cancer

Sometimes we all want our old lives back pre-cancer, but after cancer, things are not always the same for some of us whether it's our physical limitations, the mental and emotional toll it has taken from us or those around us expecting us to be the people we used to be pre-cancer. Cancer treatment plays havoc on our equilibrium. It's a rollercoaster ride of emotions, including the fear of not knowing whether we're cured or not. One moment, we're fighting the fight of our lives and the next moment, we are sent home to recover. We've all asked the question: "Now what?" It is part of the phase some of us undergo as treatment ends. It's called life after cancer and the recovery phase.

Many of us feel grateful that we've reached remission, but rather than mourn for what we used to have, we need to empower ourselves to work with what we have today in spite of our limitations. Give our bodies and our minds a chance to recover from all the chemicals and the constant "fight" mode. It may not happen overnight, but over time and with patience, we will find a stage in our lives where we are accepting of our new normal and learn to move away from our fears and our survivor's guilt. It's not easy, but it's up to us. The same way we fought cancer with all our inner power, strength and determination is the same way we need to look at life after cancer and beyond. Find a new normal that works for you. I see this as the recovery stage for "our" better tomorrow.

There is not too much guidance for those in the survivor stage (life after cancer). Some cancer centers are finally recognizing that cancer survivors do need guidance and some centers have developed exercise programs and support and therapy groups to help survivors deal with issues arising from cancer treatment such as depression. You can continue advocating for yourself by talking to your doctor about any issues you are dealing with post-cancer, so you can receive the help you need. I know many of us don't like the term the "new normal" but for those left with physical and emotional issues and scars, it may be the new way we need to look at our lives so we can move forward.

Survivorship Resources

Life After Cancer

These are links that provide cancer survivors, families and caregivers resources on how to cope with life after cancer. Finding a new normal is something all cancer survivors seek. We hope these resources will be helpful to you.
Life After Treatment Ends (PDF booklet)
From Cancer.Gov in PDF Format
Life After Cancer (PDF booklet)
From Cancer Council
Life After Cancer - Beginning to Recover
Now your cancer treatment has ended, you may feel ready to get on with your life and look forward to the future
Life After Cancer Treatment - National Cancer Institute
This publication covers post-treatment issues such as follow-up medical care, physical and emotional changes, changes in social relationships, and workplace issues.
Cancervive
Our mission is to assist survivors to reclaim their lives after cancer.
Doctor-approved cancer information from ASCO | Cancer.Net
Cancer.Net (www.cancer.net) - accurate, reliable and doctor approved cancer information from ASCO, the world's leading organization representing medical professionals who treat people with cancer.
Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation unites, inspires and empowers people affected by cancer.
National Cancer Survivors Day Home Page
An annual, worldwide Celebration of Life on the first Sunday in June to show the world that life after a cancer diagnosis can be meaningful and productive.
DCCPS: OCS
The Office of Cancer Survivorship conducts and supports research that both examines and addresses the long- and short-term physical, psychological, social, and economic effects of cancer and its treatment among pediatric and adult survivors of cancer and their families.

Donations

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education, and patient services. LLS's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the

Cancer Survivor T-Shirts

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Moving Forward

A lot of us are left with mental scars, including families and caregivers. Faith, friends, family, therapy and support groups are a great way to move forward in a positive way. You decide each day today is going to be a great day. As tough as it is to move forward after going through cancer from all perspectives, we learn to do this because life is a blessing. Each of us need to find that inner strength and take from it to find a new appreciation for our second chance of life. We must not feel compelled to pick up exactly where we left off and instead move towards creating a new life for us.

Medical Concerns

Always seek answers to your medical concerns directly from your medical team. As survivors, we can only share our experience.

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