NLPHL - Post treatment negative mindset

This all sounds very familiar to me! I think it's a pretty common state of mind in the cancer world. You are absolutely  not alone.

My main way of dealing with this mindset is to act with a degree of healthy denial. No one, not even your oncologist, can say with any certainty what is going to happen to you.

You could set yourself a time frame that feels manageable to you, and not concern yourself beyond that. For example, you might focus on your next scan in 3 months and not preoccupy yourself with anything that falls beyond that. So you start to live in a more immediate  present tense kind of way. And then when the scan comes and goes, you readjust your time frame to the next 3 months or whatever. I live my life in 3 month chunks with an eye on 12 months overall and have been doing this since becoming stage 4 three years ago. 

The losing interest in things is something I understand. I used to be someone who always had a big project on the go. Not any more. So it's small scale stuff now, but I do try to engage with something. I listen to lots of audio books and have the bbc sounds app for radio, and watch lots of high end TV drama eg Pluribus, Severance, True Detective, Succession, Better Call Saul. 

I would say let yourself adjust to where you're  at but look for little opportunities to reengage with the world to avoid becoming isolated. 

Can't go wrong with True detective! Your insights are incredible and I'm very thankful for your response. I think I'm trying to battle against the adjustment you mentioned rather than accepting it for what it is and making the most of the fact I'm still here. The isolation is tough but you're right, there has to be rengament from my side. Again, thank you so much and I wish you all the best on your journey.