How to move forward after battling cancer

Many cancer patients never know what to do after they are done with their treatment and get declared cancer free. The disease had sort of become part of their lives and they had forgotten what living a normal life looks and feels like. The journey is usually long but the joy of being declared cancer free make everything worth it.

Many survivors have the fear that the disease may come back and spend weeks and months holding themselves back from doing so many things because of fear.

These few tips can help to guide you on how to move on after battling cancer.

Join a survivors support group

Many cancer patients usually feel like their friends and family do not support their journey.  In such cases they may need to join a support group for survivors after they finish their treatment. As a cancer survivor, the support group will help you open up as you will feel safer and more comfortable opening up to people who have walked the same journey with you.

Talk about your joy, your fears, your future plans and how you are taking life after being treated. Hearing people who have also survived cancer share their stories will boost your morale and make you feel more confident in yourself.

Take one step at a time

When sick, it is hard to make long term plans as you do not know what the future holds for you. One day you could be okay and another things could escalate too fast for you to grasp it all. After your treatment, there are days you will feel weaker than others and this does not mean anything bad. Your body is adjusting to a new system after months of being on heavy medication and radiation treatment. Slow yourself down and take one day at a time. You will slowly get better, and you will find that your body will get stronger day after day.

Find a way to deal with your emotions

Keeping your emotions bottled up is just a recipe for disaster. Find ways to release your emotions when they rise up. You can get a journal and write every time you feel a certain way. You can try meditation to calm you down and release anxiety or you can talk to a professional to help you deal with the anxiety that comes with being declared cancer free.

Open up to your friends

Cancer treatment is not easy and takes a lot of strength and power of the mind to get through to the end. There are times when you must have had a lot of emotions going on and did not talk to anyone about it.

After you are done with your treatment and are declared cancer free, open up to your close friends who have been there for you during the journey and let them know what you were going through. It is difficult to explain how you feel during treatment to people as this will only draw more sympathy and no sick person likes being treated like they will lose their lives the next minute. Talk to your friends about your joy and your fears now that you are well.  

Take good care of yourself

Taking care of yourself does not stop when you are declared cancer free. Do not take your diet plan for granted and assume that it was only for the treatment. Drink a lot of water, eat well and make sure you exercise. These things will help you stay healthy and stay in shape.

Many diseases can arise from not taking good care of yourself, apart from cancer. Understand your limits and at times try to push them and see how far you can go but keep in mind that your body is still healing and regaining its strength so you should take things slow for a while before trying anything hard and straining.