Is it harder after treatment ends?

Hi Lucyann, four weeks is still very early days in recovery. It can take a good while before he will feel any improvement, his body has a lot of healing to do. Lots of people do have antidepressants when their treatment has finished, they would be prescribed with his other medication in mind. Hopefully he will start to feel better soon.  

Ray.

Thank you, Ray.  I just feel so helpless as can't do anything to make him feel better.

I appreciate your reply. X

You're welcome. I'm sure you have and still are doing all you can for him. It's a very hard time for carers also, which sometimes gets overlooked. 

Ray.

Your husband seems to be having it particularly rough at the moment.  It will get better in time.

I think my wife felt the same as you do.  I think carers have a worse time of it than us patients.

Alas in many cases the patient just has to get on and recover as best as they can.  I describe the treatment as brutal and the recovery as torture.  The reason it is torture is that recovery is long and tough and we get many false dawns as we improve only to slip back a step tor two.  The only thing is that overall each day is a little better.  Remember that what works for your husband today may not work next week.  Time will tell .  All you can do is be there and support him in the ways he tells you he needs - and that may be just being left to get on and rest for a while.

Hold on to the fact that in a year from now it will be a dim and dark memory as you both adjust to a new, but still good quality of life.

Thank you so much, Peter.

That gives me hope.

X

Hi there, your husband seems to be having it tough at the moment . But I'll tell you that a course of anti depressants doesn't hurt anyone who is finding it a very anxious time. I'm on my 15th week post treatment and must tell you I found it very tough mentally and needed help. I'm awaiting counseling at the moment and my Dr has prescribed me some meds which I must say are helping. It's a tough gig but I'm looking forward to when I can call it a past memory, I'm still a way to go but I'm getting there.  Eating and drinking is still an issue but I'm getting more down each day. 

Hope your husband feels better soon .

Mark 

Thanks, Mark.  My heart goes out to you and others going through this.  It is truly awful, but good to know brighter days are ahead-it's just sometimes difficult to envisage it sometimes.

Hoping if Radiotherapy Nurse suggests anti-depressants that she will have more luck persuading him 

X

Hi Licy Ann  Although you might not think it 4 weeks is still very early. The treatment continued to work a few weeks after treatment finished. I didn’t start to wean off opiates until around week 10 and I did it very slowly. I tend to say recovery is a marathon not a sprint. We all recover at different paces. 6 months post treatment is a good point to aim for. My blog below might help plus read this. 
although treatments over recovery usually just starting. 

www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/.../After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf

Hugs Hazel. 

Hi,I too am recovering fron rt. Tonsil cancer.6 weeks of treatment . Now into my 6th month of recovery.  I went through all the side effects like many others. Lost 17 kgs,but put 12 back on. Left with no taste and dry mouth. No alcohol of course. Getting remedial dentistry and plenty of check ups. Just a matter of time to full recovery. Slow but sure. Good luck . Jimmy Jock. 

Hi Hazel

Thanks so much.  Hearing others' experience is really helpful.  I think, perhaps, that we thought that we would have seen more of a difference in 4 weeks, but good to hear that it is "normal".  I think when you don't know, you worry and fear the worst.

Thanks so much for replying and being so honest.

X