tiredness

Hi Queenbea:

Speaking from the experiences of several good
friends, as well as myself, I can say that I
don't think the psychological impact of having breast (or any other) cancer ends when
the treatment ends.

We all respond to challenges differently but
I've found it to be relatively common for women with bc to experience certain anxieties
following the end of treatment. We have concerns about recurrence, late effects of the treatment(s) we had, our intimate relationships, what to do about some of the
things we learned about ourselves (what we
want from life now may be quite different than what we wanted before bc, as our priorities can shift/change)fears about not seeing our doctors so often. A whole cornucopia of things can settle on us after treatment ends.

We can learn to cope with and manage these
fears/concerns well and not have them become
a source of stress if we share with other's,
join a support group, get lots of solid information, get counseling, etc.. It's part of taking good care of ourselves. I've found this site to
be a wonderful source of support and information. The sharing here is genuine and filled with caring and you can come away feeling so much better, whether you just had a question about side effects or are looking for resources for a particular problem...someone else almost always has been right where you are and can share their experience with you.

Our immune systems are stronger when we're
not stressed/worried/angry, etc.. Since our immune systems are our bodies first line of defense against cancer, it makes sense to take special care of our emotions and our diets. All of us have some concerns, post treatment and the best we can do is learn to deal effectively with them and carry on to happy living! Life after treatment will be as good as you are willing to make it! That's my philosophy and I try every day to practice that.

Love, light and laughter,
Inkblot

Dear Queenbea:
I finished my chemo (A/C) last week and my Radiation is to start in a couple of weeks.
I found the American Cancer Society's .....I Can Cope Series was a great help to me, especially from the emotional perspective. Many times the mental health side of a disase is overlooked. You may want to contact the ACS to find out where the next session in your area will be conducted. Mine was at St. Rahapel's Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut and was on Tuesday's for four consecutive weeks from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. They provided nourishment for the mind as well as body (dinner was brought in).

Because I work in the health care/education environment I find that talking to people everyday has helped to keep me balanced. If you allow yourself 7 minutes a day to grieve, cry, scream, or just feel sorry for yourself, that may also help to keep you sane. Just remember that someone else needs the next 7 minutes.

Kathy