I have finished my treatment for throat cancer and had 5 sessions of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiotherapy. I have had my 12 months scan and is all clear
Can now eat and drink ok and I find that after my treatment my wife says I have a short fuse.
is it normal to feel angry all the time after the treatment is this something other people have experienced after treatment.
Dave
Hello Dave B5246
My name’s Vicky and I’m a Support Advisor here at Macmillan. It’s wonderful to hear that you’re now clear of your throat cancer and that physically you’re doing well, that must be such a relief to you and your family.
Believe me Dave, feeling angry and emotional is something that many people experience after they’ve come through cancer, you’re certainly not alone there. Often people go through their treatment really smoothly with few emotional effects however once they’ve finished their treatment and been given the all clear that’s when the realisation of what they’ve actually been through hits them and they begin to struggle emotionally.
Have you looked at any support Dave, maybe talked to your GP or Cancer Nurse about how you’re feeling? Please remember we’re here for you too, as a place you can contact privately and confidentially to talk through how you’re feeling and access emotional support. We’re here every single day, from 8am to 8pm on 0808 808 0000, we’re here for as long as you need us so please reach out whenever you need to.
We also have some booklets on the emotional effects of cancer after treatment has finished, I’ll put some links to them below, I hope that this will assure you that these feelings you are experiencing are completely normal Dave.
What to do after cancer treatment ends: 10 top tips
How are you feeling? The emotional effects of cancer
You might also like to think about joining a support group Dave, so that you can share your experiences and feelings with others who have better understanding of what you’ve been through, some people find that this can really help. You can have a look here to see if there’s any groups near to you or contact a local Macmillan Centre as they may know of local groups. You could also take a look at our Online Community were people share stories and experiences and just provide general support to each other.
I hope this information is of some help to you Dave and please remember, we’re here for you whenever you need to talk so please do reach out.
Kindest regards,
Remember you can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or by email.
