Feeling very emotional towards end of treatment

Hi Kar66 

Just want to say I see this a lot . Hopefully someone with experience will pop on but I read it often on the boards. 

https://www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf

A few people find this article helpful. Perfectly normal to come to the end of the process and suddenly with time and space things surface .

It comes up here a lot !

Our helpline staff are always available too .

0808 808 0000

Take care ,

Court 

Thank you so much. I have just read the article and it makes so much sense of some of the feelings I’ve been having. 

Hi Kar66 Yes I remember feeling exactly like this! The oncologist told me she ‘never wanted to see me again and to go get on with my life’ and I felt quite dejected. I also sort of missed my weekly visits to the chemo nurses? This sounds ridiculous but I think it’s maybe because all the visits to the hospital were a bit of a comfort blanket and that was now gone. 

I read an analogy in a book once that likened it to a boat journey. All is plain sailing until you hit a storm and the boat gets a battering. You limp into harbour (hospital) and the people there (medical team) fix the boat up for you (treatment) and wave you on your way but you want to stay there because you don’t trust your boat anymore. However the weather gets better over time and the repairs stand up well to the seas which are all calm again.

The paper that Court has linked you into Js really helpful and there’s lots of posts in this board too with some great advice from Mike the Highlander

 Life after cancer forum 

Congratulations on nearly finishing your chemo and I hope you have something nice planned to celebrate

Take care

Karen x

Thank you. That’s reassuring to know.

Hi Kar66,

I totally understand where you are coming from and sending you a hug. Thank you Court for that link, the article really spoke to me, it's so good to know you are not experiencing those feelings alone. I had a right hemicolectomy last October and finished my 12th Chemo a fortnight ago. Now I'm surrounded by people telling me I can get back to normal, I look really well, that's all over and you can get back to normal. I keep having to explain that this isn't the end of year one and monitoring will be ongoing for several years. 

I'm coping by trying to find small wins every day and being pleased about those. Small, achievable targets like the article suggests. Take care Kar66, wishing you well.

1. Hi kar66, im a 64 yr old male, diagnosed with rectal tumour, cancerous oct 22, stage 3 ( T3N0M0 staging). Had it removed, temp ileostomy bag 12 months, ileostomy reversed  damaged in process, ended having small bowl resection and right helicolectomy. This is not a tale of woe, but my subsequent blood checks, and mri/ct show no signs of any cancer (no guarantee of cure), but anytime i get emotal ( i often do), i remind myself " im in a better position now than before" make the most of it, as many others are not as lucky. I bounce back twice as strong, and more determined. Easier said than done, but stay strong, be up for the fight, try to stay positive. Also talk to others in same boat, like here. Dont let it get to you.

Thank you so much for sharing this. I've been feeling really weird since my treatment finished especially as my last cycle was cancelled (after leaving me waiting for 2 weeks to see if it would go ahead!). This article really helped me put a name to what I was feeling. 

I can relate to this completely. I look well and nobody would know what I’ve been through unless I tell them. Inside I feel like an emotional mess. It’s good to hear that others feel this way too. I feel so lucky and grateful that the cancer was found and has been removed successfully but I feel like I’m in limbo at the moment. I suppose my body and mind need time to process everything that has happened.

Thank you. It’s good to hear other people’s experiences. I feel really positive but struggle with my emotions. I have to try to accept that I’m going to feel emotional and not give myself a hard time about it. 

From someone standing outwith the process I often think the expectations people have of themselves going through this is quite tough . You have been through a lot . I can only speak from observing my mum but after a period of healing I would look at her and think she is fully back .

Take special care and make space for yourself to heal .

Court