Getting diagnosed with and being treated for cancer can take a toll on a person and their family.
Surviving cancer is one of the greatest victories you can experience in life. It’s all you can do to shout to the world that you did it, you beat it!
These positive feelings should be your story throughout the healing and adjustment process.
It is common to experience fear of recurrence, stress, and anxiety. Anxiety in children is common among those who have suffered through cancer or watched a parent suffer through cancer.
All of these can be beaten with the right therapies and mindset.
Dealing with Stress, Fear, and Anxiety
After successful treatment, the threat of recurrence is real in cancer patients.
You might be cancer-free for years, but the thought that the cancer could come back still haunts you.
This is a real threat, and although nothing can be done to prevent it, it is important to get your thoughts away from this.
You will not live your best life if you are afraid of what could happen.
A good way to deal with fear is to acknowledge it. Accept that the cancer does and could come back. However, choose to focus on the blessings you have in the present. You are cancer-free, and you have won the ultimate battle. You were brave, and your body fought alongside the drugs as hard as it could.
Take pride in this.
To ease your mind, you can ask your doctor about some of the things that you could do to avoid recurrence.
Another way to deal with fear is to tell your close family and friends so that they can encourage you and help you do everything that you can to prevent the cancer from coming back.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, though. Remember that you can only do your best in the moment.
You can also start journaling or start a blog to write about the journey you had and where you are now. Looking back will help you in managing your emotions.
Take Care of your Body
Your mind is complemented by your body. A good way to deal with the emotions that will plague you after treatment is to take care of your body.
Exercise has been found to release endorphins, also known as feel-good hormones which elevate your mood and spirits.
Exercise should be a regular occurrence. On those days when stress levels are high, go for a run or do some yoga.
Exercise also acts as a distraction from your worries. You find yourself focusing on the movement of your body and forget the fear and stress.
It also increases your confidence and makes you feel good about yourself.
Follow Up Visits to the Doctor
When you have a doctor’s appointment coming up, you can get intimidated and get scared that the doctor will only have bad news for you.
Go anyway.
While you’re with the doctor ask them about anything you feel like. Tell them how you’ve been feeling recently.
If you’ve been in pain, they can prescribe something for you.
You can also ask them about what symptoms to watch out for.
You may also have side-effects that show up after treatment. Ask your doctor about this.
Follow-up tests are important as they assist the doctor in monitoring cancer and the progress.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Meditation and other relaxation techniques are great at alleviating stress and managing emotions.
Other relaxation techniques include yoga, visualization, and hypnotherapy all of which make you feel better.
Cancer support groups usually have connections for these services so you can ask around during your next session.
Often, you may get frustrated that you are not where you want to be, however, remember that you are not where you used to be.
Appreciate the milestones and embrace the journey.
