After treatment

@sue417 you are not alone.

My diagnosis started me on a path where my goal was to research my cancer and understand my treatment options.
Then it was next steps to plan … surgery, radiation, and endocrine treatment.
Like you, after 6 months, my treatment was complete (YAY!) I was fatigued/tired, and not really interested in socializing with people who haven’t had a similar experience.
I felt like I had climbed the mountain … so what’s next?
On the advice of a good friend, I gave myself time to rest my body and absorb & reflect on everything I had been through (I’m a planner, so this isn’t easy for me☺️
I had been tumbled through so much in a short time, I needed to take it all in and breathe - I know that sounds trite, but after taking a few meditation/breathing apps, my jaw, neck & shoulders relaxed.
Spent as much time in sunshine as I could, got a gentle full body massage.
It really helped me to just write down what I had gone through - felt good to just kind of dump it all out.

Give yourself grace, you will get back to you!

Hi
Thanks yes I also am a planner today I had a Reiki treatment I will have a massage next week and I'm trying to decompress I'm having a hard time it's very strange but thank you very much for your encouragement

I have a close friend who was in treatment for a breast cancer recurrence right when I was first diagnosed. After treatment, she did the LiveStrong program at her local Y and liked it quite a bit. Once you start to have more energy, there are also lots of exercise videos for after breast cancer.
My treatment plan ended about 11 months ago, although I'm still monitored every six months. Personally, I started a system that works well for me--I take life in 3 month chunks and write down all my goals and aspirations for that 90 days in a special notebook. That way I can be pretty sure of doing some special things, and enjoying small things too. I'm retired, but I set goals in terms of creativity, sociability, house/yard. and more. I like that endorphin rush of completing things! I also recently started keeping a Gratitude Journal, where you can list positive things each day. You know, for me, it isn't finding the perfect thing to do--I just really like doing something to emphasize feeling good! I am sure you can find your way--and Mayo Connect really helped me as well. Glad you are here.

Hi @sue417

I do understand what you’re talking about. My brother talked about this when he went on hospice after a two year cancer battle filled with non-stop surgeries, treatments and appointments and suddenly support from so many providers in the medical community stopped abruptly. He said the non-stop treatment becomes a way of life and security. His paid providers felt like friends who really cared and then poof not even a goodbye.

I remember feeling a little abandoned and vulnerable myself the first time I had cancer and suddenly the constant appointments with multiple providers were just over. It kind of felt like suddenly no one cared. Providers, friends and family all stop asking how you feel, but you don’t feel normal yet. It feels eerily quiet. Feeling normal again takes time.

But now with my recurrence nearly 4 years ago plus a second primary cancer, all the ongoing appointments drive me crazy again. I’ve had 300+ medical appointments in less than 4 years plus paperwork, a zillion text and email reminders, phone calls, surveys, etc. I’m over it already. Leave me alone. I try to stretch out appointments. I’m sure lots of people feel the same way be it either too much or not enough. Maybe this phenomenon should be called the Goldilocks syndrome. We want the care and attention from providers, friends and family to be “just right.”

Your description of feeling lost is spot on. Hope your life feels normal and secure again soon. In the meantime, your MayoConnect family is here for support. 😊

There is something called survivorship that deals with this exact thing. I truly wish that this was something people thought of 20 years ago when I went through my first year of treatments.
I typed in cancer survivorship and came to this list. I copied the link to the the list because each of us will want to read a different thing.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/?search=Cancer+survivorship
Mayo has really done a great job of putting this together. I sure wish they were everywhere.
Have any of you been offered survivorship through your local cancer center?

Congratulations on completing your radiation. I hope you find resources here to assist. However, I found a survivor on YouTube. Not sure if I can list that information here. But I found this very helpful.

Sue,
After the routines of treatment, visits, travel, seeing people, when its over its easy to feel Left Out even Abandoned.
The support you had at hand, is no longer At Hand.
Theres a let down time that might come after the reality of what you faced is “in your face”.
I took it easy at first for no Good reason. What was I waiting For?
So I started to jump into things, do things, see people, enjoy my own company.
I gave myself Permission to Move on.

Do yourself good; get out and enjoy the time.
Seize the days.
We all know going thru this how precious Time is.
Its worth more than money. Spend it! ❤️

Feeling isolated is common.Find a support group in your area. They are usually free - check online also for support groups that meet virtually.

well, it was so good to read this because I am going through this too and not understanding why I feel this way. I just finished chemotherapy. Chemotherapy took all our focus because I got very sick from the side effects. I couldn't plan anything and still can't, but now it's over and life will get back to normal. My sister died of breast cancer just as I was diagnosed and now my brother has been diagnosed with a rare cancer that is inoperable. I guess it just feels like its all too much. The chemo was a distraction. I certainly don't miss it; it was awful, but now I can feel what else is going on and it's a heavy, lethargic feeling. Thanks for posting this, I'm glad I'm not alone.

Take a look at Genuine Essiac Tea fir younand your brother. For real.