After treatment finishes

Hi! My top tip is to take it day by day. Try not to expect too much from yourself….it will take time so be kind to yourself. 
Sending healing thoughts x

I have tried to send you the link to an article but computer says no!

After the Treatment Finishes - Then What?
Dr Peter Harvey
Consultant Clinical Psychologist Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust

It was published on MacMillan site….I’ll try and send you it another way….

www.cancercounselling.org.uk/After the Treatment - Peter Harvey.pdf

Aarrrghhh..that link doesn’t work either!….just Google it!

Thankyou Galligirl I will take a look xx

GalligirlDon’t worry I found it and thank you brilliant article summing up all that I am feeling and giving some great advice I hadn’t looked at it as an important part of the process and that I have been setting my expectations far to high for this stage in recovery. Thank you again such a great article I’ve saved it and shall use as a reference point on the not so good days. Take care and thank you xx

Excellent! It’s 3 years since I finished treatment and whilst I’m physically ‘back to normal’ it took way longer than I thought and in hindsight my expectations were set too high. I am now much kinder to myself and more focussed on what is important. Mental recovery is also hard and obviously depends on you and how your head works,,,,I still struggle but certainly not as in the beginning and those first few months. 
You’ll get there…x

In my experience, and I think for a lot of others here, adjusting to the new normal takes a lot of time, and it isn't a linear process. I felt completely elated when I finished treatment. I'd got through chemo, lumpectomy and radiotherapy and was on the road to recovery!

Then it all hit me again and I felt quite low for a spell. I'm also dealing with a medical menopause from the treatment plus other hormone blockers and they leave me with insomnia, hot flashes/night sweats and fatigue. All of that can wreak havoc with your emotions.

I am very much back to enjoying life but I have learned not to be so hard on myself or put pressure on. There are some days when I don't do much now and that's OK

I'm coming up to a year past main treatment and I'm still not really used to the new me and can get frustrated at the need to pace myself whereas before treatment I was very active and never stopped

The mental fatigue is still there too, not just for me but for my husband too. It is a huge event and I don't think you really process it all until afterwards. I am a really positive person but cancer is always in the back of my mind now. It changes you.

It is not all bad though, I do genuinely feel better for the experience, It makes you evaluate what is important in your life, forces you to prioritise as you don't have the energy for everything any more, and I let things go easier than I used to as they just don't matter. 

The new 'you' takes a bit of getting used to but I honestly think I'm better for the experience.

I am holding on to the thought that I have known people to take the aromatase inhibiters and suffer from insomnia etc but recovered completely once off them. So, I am looking forward to having more energy in the future and for now, I am taking life as it comes and making sure I do more of the things I enjoy and less of the things I don't enjoy.