Post-Treatment Letdown

Who knew that you could actually "miss" your cancer treatment? For someone who's never experienced cancer and its aftermath, this may seem like a very strange thing indeed. But after years of helping individuals with cancer through the cancer care process, I can say that it's all too common.

I wanted to write about this very important topic simply because it is so poorly understood by non-cancer-survivors. If by bringing to light the issue of post-treatment letdown, I can help one person out there to feel a little less lonely and a little more "normal", then this is worth my time and then some!

Blogging about this topic in the New York Times, Dana Jennings puts into words what so many cancer survivors feel, but may be embarrassed to admit: They miss their cancer care. The reasons for this are many, but the important thing is that it's okay to acknowledge that you miss aspects of your cancer care.

It's not likely that you miss things such as lower blood cell counts, nausea, and large chunks of your days being taken up running from appointment to appointment or being tethered to an IV pole while undergoing cancer treatment. But it's completely normal to miss the security and stability of the same appointments at the same time on a regular schedule. And it's normal to miss your doctors, nurses, and fellow cancer care recipients too.

How to Cope with Letdown?

If you're trying to cope with post-treatment letdown, there are lots of things you can do to work through this:

• Acknowledge your feelings and acknowledge that these feelings aren't "weird" or "abnormal". You are not a glutton for punishment and missing certain aspects of your cancer care does not mean you "wanted to be sick".
• Let your doctor, nurse, or other care providers know, either with a phone call or a short note, that you appreciate all they have done for you and that you miss them and look forward to touching base at your next appointment, even if that appointment is 3 months, 6 months, or a year away. I guarantee it will make your health care providers day to receive a 30 second voice mail message or a short note from you saying "Hello", and you'll feel better as well.
• Call your cancer treatment facility and ask if there are any post-treatment or long-term survivor support groups available. You can attend one, two, or more meetings to find your way to a comfortable post-treatment routine. It doesn't mean you're committed to the group for years, just that you can use a little support right now.
• Give back. One thing that some cancer survivors find very rewarding is to volunteer some time to give back to the cancer care community. The commitment can range from a one-time project, such as helping organize the patient lending library, to a long-term commitment to be a "cancer buddy" or mentor to someone else who's been diagnosed with cancer. Before you do any of these actions, be sure that you feel good enough, physically and emotionally to participate. Just as it's okay to admit you are feeling discombobulated without your cancer care routine, it's okay to admit that you're not ready to "be around cancer" just yet.