Like many roads and paths in life, being on the road to recovery after cancer treatment isn’t always straight forward. Every path is different and everyone’s road to recovery has challenges. One thing that lots of people find in common is the comfort found from connecting with others in similar situations here on the Online Community.
The Community is a place to share personal experiences and to help each other through the difficult moments. Hopefully reading the following experience of members finding their own road to recovery will be helpful.
“…One day at a time continues to be my mantra and I’ve realised that this stage of recovery is also very hard with glimmers of normality followed by big crashes!! I’ve found this site very comforting.”
Community member, Head and neck cancer forum
“Been trying to keep myself occupied to minimise the rollercoaster of emotions but it's not easy. Daily walks and yoga have helped. I'll be glad when it's over as that's a big step completed in this cancer journey. Thanks for all the support and advice from you lovely ladies.”
Community member, Womb cancer forum
Rebuilding your physical and emotional health
Recovery is about taking one day at a time to rebuild your physical and emotional health. The length of time this can take depends on a lot of factors but your medical team will be able to discuss your recovery plan with you.
“It’s normal to have ups and downs, positive and negative emotions. I’d say keep sharing how you feel and enjoy life. Everyone is different, and I do think your team will recommend what’s best for you.”
Community member, Breast cancer forum
“It’s still very early days in your recovery so some aches and pains are to be expected. If you are in severe pain, then you need to get medical advice/help. Your body will still be healing. It is major surgery and recovery takes time. It’s important to listen to your body. If you feel tired then you need to rest.”
Community member, Bladder cancer forum
Having help at home from friends and family can support your recovery as you have people near by to help with any practical needs. Sometimes it can feel awkward asking for help but you will usually find people will want to be there for you and will be happy to support you with your recovery.
“Just be good to yourself, let people help you, enjoy and recognise the beauty in small things. Take one day as it comes and soon, all the discomfort and fear becomes a thing of the past”
Community member, Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer forum
If you need specialist practical help, speak to your GP or health professionals at the hospital as they will be able to put referrals in place for help at home and other required support services.
Continuous recovery
A full recovery is what alot of people aim for however the reality is that this may not be what you expected. A full recovery for some may mean that there are side effects of treatment that are long lasting and will be coping with for some time. A continuous recovery is adapting to a different 'normal' as you are learning how to live with these changes.
"My old life seems to have vanished too, and it is difficult trying to adjust to each new normal as it presents itself."
Community member, Life after cancer forum
After having a routine of regular appointments with your health care team, once treatment finishes you can start to feel anxious as you won't have regular contact with your medical team.
"Your anxiety is understandable and you're not alone in feeling that way. The whole treatment cycle becomes such a huge part of life for that period of time that when it ends it feels like there is this void of unknown. This is perfectly normal. If you think back to the start of the treatment, you most likely had to adjust to the new routine. Now the time has come to re-adjust again. It takes time so go easy on yourself here."
Community member, Brain cancer forum
“The last day of my treatment was a day that I’d looked forward to right from being told I needed chemoradiotherapy yet when it arrived I cried like a baby, I felt kind of lost not having those daily hospital visits.... I’ve come to the conclusion that with something like a cancer diagnosis & related emotions there is no one size fits all & have decided, for my own sanity, to just try & go with the flow.”
Community member, Anal cancer forum
Macmillan's 'Life after cancer treatment' audiobook has different sections to help you prepare for life after cancer treatment. It includes information on follow up care, managing treatment side effects and making lifestyle changes. If you prefer to read this information, you can download and order a booklet on this webpage.
Why using the Online Community can support you with your recovery
The Online Community can be accesses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you can access peer support from our different support groups, whenever you need it. There’s also a space to speak to professionals about your worries and concerns alongside asking for trusted cancer information in our Ask an expert section.
Having a place like the Community can be a useful space to share experiences so you know you are not alone with what you are going through.
“The recovery was hard but everybody here was encouraging and helped me through it.”
Community member, Bladder cancer forum
Cancer can cause many people to feel lonely and it’s something that we explore in our ‘Are you feeling lonely?’ Community news blog. If you’re feeling lonely after cancer treatment, you may find it comforting to read how others are coping. Members often post how they are feeling in our Community groups to connect with others who may be feeling a similar way.
“I wanted to ask if anyone else was finding life a bit lonely after cancer treatment? I have a family and a few close friends but have found that the dynamics of these relationships have changed and that I actually feel quite lonely, even though I’m surrounded by people all the time. Feeling hopeful that I’m not the only one experiencing this!”
Community member, New to the Community forum
Emotional and mental health support
Unlike some physical side effects if treatment, emotional effects of cancer don't have a set plan or recovery time period. This can cause alot of uncertainty and anxiety.
Needing additonal emotional support is common because being diagnosed with cancer and having treatment, can cause a range of difficult emotions. The Macmillan Support Line has specialist teams on hand to provide emotional, practical help every day from 8am to 8pm. When you need to talk about how you are feeling, call 0808 808 00 00 for free.
“I found the physical recovery process far easier than I had expected. I found the mental one a little bit harder - for me, this was the sheer speed of it all - the fact that I was diagnosed & admitted for surgery was just one month... These feelings diminished within time, but took far longer than the physical recovery.”
Community member, Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer forum
“I just feel sad, my recovery from surgery hasn't been great and I'm feeling quite drained physically and emotionally.”
Community member, Breast cancer forum
Macmillan are also currently working with Bupa, to offer free counselling sessions to people living with cancer. The Support Line teams will be able to put a referral in place for you and there’s more information on the Macmillan cancer support website about this. There’s also one of our Community news blogs on this link here that includes more information. If it’s something you feel would be helpful and would like to access, please do get in touch with the support line teams when the time is right for you.
Other support resources:
Are you currently on the road to recovery? Why not reach out by posting on the Community to share how you are feeling. There's lots of people who will be there to listen and support you at different times of the day.
