I have finished chemo and finished radiation now what?

atiredparent
atiredparent Member Posts: 45
in Breast Cancer #1
It feels very strange to be done with treatment. I have to admit I am a little more emotional than i have been throughout the whole process. I am both relieved and excited to be done with treatment but worried about recurrance and getting on with the business of living. Any advice is welcome!

Comments

  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #2
    Hi there!
    Most of us can relate to this. For a brief time, it's a whirlwind of treatments and when it's over, you are left standing with a strange feeling. After those treatments, I went on Tamoxifen for 5 years. I finished this past September, and I have to say, I felt like I was throwing away my security blankie. I remember asking my Oncologist what's next and when she said "Nothing", it did feel rather strange.

    I can say for me, it's getting a bit easier. I know I have to really eat healthy and excercise (especially from eating that holiday food).

    I know you WILL get busy with the business of living. Give yourself some time.

    Hugs,

    Sylvia
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #3
    One day...
    One day at a time......we all go through this...for months you've had doctors, and many medical professionals looking after you...not to mention family and friends..... Checking this, checking that...looking after any and all of your medical needs....then BOOM! Treatment over...now what, except for check ups which get further apart as time goes by...it's like being dropped cold turkey...then it's looking after one's self....

    I had a complete meltdown in my radiation oncologist's office two days before my last rad treatment....poor guy...after surgery, chemo and rads, I asked "now what?" .....I was sobbing ..it was a combo of sheer relief of FINALLY being "done" after months and months of treatment and sheer fear..
    He assured me that what I was experiencing was perfectly normal.....that only time would help...he said it compared to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome....time will help...Most cancer centers have a program called Finding your New Normal....if your's doesn't have it call the American Cancer Society and ask about it, if you're interested..I wasn't...

    All I can add is just take one day at a time...rest when possible, listen to your body...it takes time to heal physically and mentally...regain your strength and stamina....then try to find joy in the things that you enjoyed before this happened...there's no magic bullet...and don't let people, anyone, tell you "it's over, move on"....everyone is different and recovers at one's own pace....my oncologist said it takes about as long to recover physically, the same length of time you were undergoing treatment...mentally as long as you need!

    Wishing you the very best as you regain your health...
    Hugs, Nancy
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #4
    MAJW said:

    One day...
    One day at a time......we all go through this...for months you've had doctors, and many medical professionals looking after you...not to mention family and friends..... Checking this, checking that...looking after any and all of your medical needs....then BOOM! Treatment over...now what, except for check ups which get further apart as time goes by...it's like being dropped cold turkey...then it's looking after one's self....

    I had a complete meltdown in my radiation oncologist's office two days before my last rad treatment....poor guy...after surgery, chemo and rads, I asked "now what?" .....I was sobbing ..it was a combo of sheer relief of FINALLY being "done" after months and months of treatment and sheer fear..
    He assured me that what I was experiencing was perfectly normal.....that only time would help...he said it compared to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome....time will help...Most cancer centers have a program called Finding your New Normal....if your's doesn't have it call the American Cancer Society and ask about it, if you're interested..I wasn't...

    All I can add is just take one day at a time...rest when possible, listen to your body...it takes time to heal physically and mentally...regain your strength and stamina....then try to find joy in the things that you enjoyed before this happened...there's no magic bullet...and don't let people, anyone, tell you "it's over, move on"....everyone is different and recovers at one's own pace....my oncologist said it takes about as long to recover physically, the same length of time you were undergoing treatment...mentally as long as you need!

    Wishing you the very best as you regain your health...
    Hugs, Nancy

    Congratulations!!!
    First of all, Congratulations on finishing your invasive treatment. Now what? Build your new life, moving forward finding your "new normal" and celebrate life!!!!
  • atiredparent
    atiredparent Member Posts: 45
    #5
    Thank you. I figured I was
    Thank you. I figured I was "normal"! The chemo nurse told me it takes about 6 months after radiation to feel 100% myself again.
  • cctiz
    cctiz Member Posts: 47
    #6
    FLOR ESSENCE
    Hi there, have you give a thought to alternative medicine? i finished radiation in early december and my onco talked to me about how compromised the inmune system is left after these grueling treatments, "off the record" she recomended me "flor essence" liquid to detox and protect the inmune and cell system, i'm on it! i googled the reviews and they looked 100% positive, is natural and i have nothing to loose trying it, if it works i will drop the 5 years pill, that by the way has a lot of side effects.
  • atiredparent
    atiredparent Member Posts: 45
    #7
    cctiz said:

    FLOR ESSENCE
    Hi there, have you give a thought to alternative medicine? i finished radiation in early december and my onco talked to me about how compromised the inmune system is left after these grueling treatments, "off the record" she recomended me "flor essence" liquid to detox and protect the inmune and cell system, i'm on it! i googled the reviews and they looked 100% positive, is natural and i have nothing to loose trying it, if it works i will drop the 5 years pill, that by the way has a lot of side effects.

    I will look in to it
    I will look in to it. I am triple negative so no 5 year pill for me.

    I did start on an excellent multivitamin, actually the health food store said it isn't really a vitamin but a dietary supplement or something like that. Anyhow it is called alive and it has tones of stuff in addition to the usual. One of the things recommended was grape seed extract.

    I think you are right throwing myself in to excercise, healthy eating, etc... might be the trick.

    Thank you
  • atiredparent
    atiredparent Member Posts: 45
    #8
    cctiz said:

    FLOR ESSENCE
    Hi there, have you give a thought to alternative medicine? i finished radiation in early december and my onco talked to me about how compromised the inmune system is left after these grueling treatments, "off the record" she recomended me "flor essence" liquid to detox and protect the inmune and cell system, i'm on it! i googled the reviews and they looked 100% positive, is natural and i have nothing to loose trying it, if it works i will drop the 5 years pill, that by the way has a lot of side effects.

    I will look in to it
    I will look in to it. I am triple negative so no 5 year pill for me.

    I did start on an excellent multivitamin, actually the health food store said it isn't really a vitamin but a dietary supplement or something like that. Anyhow it is called alive and it has tones of stuff in addition to the usual. One of the things recommended was grape seed extract.

    I think you are right throwing myself in to excercise, healthy eating, etc... might be the trick.

    Thank you
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #9
    cctiz said:

    FLOR ESSENCE
    Hi there, have you give a thought to alternative medicine? i finished radiation in early december and my onco talked to me about how compromised the inmune system is left after these grueling treatments, "off the record" she recomended me "flor essence" liquid to detox and protect the inmune and cell system, i'm on it! i googled the reviews and they looked 100% positive, is natural and i have nothing to loose trying it, if it works i will drop the 5 years pill, that by the way has a lot of side effects.

    Is..
    Is this FDA approved? Did yo have chemo before radiation? Chemo leaves the body rather quickly and I don't understand how one " detoxes" from radiation.....I'll look this up...
  • atiredparent
    atiredparent Member Posts: 45
    #10
    MAJW said:

    Is..
    Is this FDA approved? Did yo have chemo before radiation? Chemo leaves the body rather quickly and I don't understand how one " detoxes" from radiation.....I'll look this up...

    It is not FDA approved. It
    It is not FDA approved. It also has some ingredients that can promote cancer growth. I would be concerned taking it but my research has been limited. I definitely would not take a supplement of any kind without speaking to your oncologist.
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    #11
    Treatment done
    I actually did not have a let down after treatment was done. I am a workaholic and so I had been home canning food due to the fact that I was no longer going to be working 2 jobs. Well of course there was a drop in income so this was a practical way to mitigate the damage. So being done with treatment gave me a better opportunity to throw myself into this. It also allowed me greater control over my diet than when I was working two jobs. I probably would have been asking "now what" had I not been involved in this.
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    #12
    sea60 said:

    Hi there!
    Most of us can relate to this. For a brief time, it's a whirlwind of treatments and when it's over, you are left standing with a strange feeling. After those treatments, I went on Tamoxifen for 5 years. I finished this past September, and I have to say, I felt like I was throwing away my security blankie. I remember asking my Oncologist what's next and when she said "Nothing", it did feel rather strange.

    I can say for me, it's getting a bit easier. I know I have to really eat healthy and excercise (especially from eating that holiday food).

    I know you WILL get busy with the business of living. Give yourself some time.

    Hugs,

    Sylvia

    I think many of us feel or
    I think many of us feel or felt the same way. While in treatment, we were busy and knew that we were doing everything we could to fight the beast. Then, when we finish, we felt like, what now? Just take it one day at a time and get on with living your life to the fullest.


    It just takes time, so, try to stay busy and just enjoy your life!


    Hugs, Noel

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