Coping back to normal after suffering cancer

Having gone through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, uncertainties, waiting, fear ... the person who has survived cancer is no longer the same. How to get back to life where it stopped?

Almost from the diagnosis, the cancer patient, and his family want that life back to normal.However, when the oncologist announced the happy news that the treatment is completed and no longer have to back up after a few months to check that everything goes well, it might start another big challenge: back to life where he stood.

For months the reality forces us to change the lives, needs, and priorities. Therefore, adaptation to labor, social, family environment once the disease is not easy. At present, it is quite common to feel unprotected and vulnerable. Then there are new challenges such as return to work or face the loss of it, live with some physical consequences, revert to an active social life, changes in family relationships ... All these situations hinder the normalization of life as it often feels like a constant roller coaster of emotions.

Having gone through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, uncertainties, waiting, fear ... the person who has survived cancer is no longer the same. Many internal and external aspects may have changed and resume daily routines after beating breast cancer, it may be more complicated than previously thought. Many women have to face day after day to the physical consequences that may have left the disease, causing certain activities of daily routine become complicated when previously they were not.

The physical difficulties

Some of the physical problems that may arise are:

• Lymphedema is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in fatty tissues just under the skin. It can cause swelling in one arm and is often accompanied by pain on movement. It is also limited because it is not recommended to force the affected arm, carry weight, etc. ..
• Early menopause: produced by the treatment which causes excessive vaginal dryness with consequent difficulties in sexual relations.
• Chemo-brain (in Spanish literally "chemo brain"). This term refers to cognitive changes caused by receiving chemotherapy and include difficulty with short - term memory, multiple jobs, new learning, understanding what is read, work with numbers and a decrease in the ability of concentration. Although these difficulties tend to disappear in the short-medium term, cause complications in addition to the regular working life.

However, these changes may also be better. Priorities, values, the importance of self-care, the perception of the details that could pass unnoticed before, change.

Recommendations for adaptation to the "normal" life after cancer

1. Living in the present, here and now . The practice of mindfulness contributes to this.
2. Spend more time with loved ones . The cancer is usually as a screen that selects the authentic personal relationships that they are not.
3. Reflect on what happened . Treatment, experienced emotions have passed quickly without very carefully, pausing to digest helps to integrate them and fit them into our lives.
4. Talk about feelings . Somehow express them , name them, fear, joy, sadness, excitement etc ...
5. Improve the self - care . Caring for food, sleep and rest, physical exercise, ...
6. Reflect on the changing values . Where do I want my life go? What I want to invest my time?
7. Maintain a proactive behavior respecting the rhythm itself. Slowly, unhurried, translate into behavioral changes we have planned to do.

In short, despite the difficulties, it is possible to return to normal life after cancer, not like before, but better than before.

You have doubts? Plantéalas in the comments and we will respond gladly.