In the month of June as we celebrate cancer survivor month and help raise awareness about living as a cancer survivor, I am proud to be part of this group. As we celebrate, I would like to bring some awareness of how life is not the same after surviving cancer. You may be aware that the daily struggle of living with cancer was difficult, but life after remission can be challenging to work through as well. A cancer survivor has to deal with the aftermath of cancer. It is important to stay healthy and have a positive outlook as a cancer survivor.
Often times what is not said, is that cancer survivors often face increased physical, financial and mental burdens from their diagnosis and treatment. As cancer survivors we have a higher risk of being diagnosed with the same cancer again, as well as other types of cancers or health conditions due to the treatment received. In addition, cancer survivors may face mental health issues like depression, anxiety and PTSD. Furthermore, cancer survivors who had to undergo treatment often times find themselves with a large amount of debt. Chemotherapy, medication, radiation and other cancer-related expenses are expensive and can cause a significant financial burden.
Personally, my oncologist sent me for testing at increased intervals which decreased over time to ensure that I would not have a reoccurrence or that I had developed another type of cancer. As I have mentioned before the medication would cause for me to experience depression and anxiety which did not leave me just because I was in remission, it was a continuous battle over time. It also did not help matters knowing that I had a huge mountain of debt that kept increasing due to my ongoing cancer battle. To be honest, if I would have been better informed and not thought that I was alone then perhaps, I would have joined a cancer support group to share stories and have a support system in addition to my family. Also, I did not know that there are organizations that help with financial issues to address some of the medical bills that are the consequence of such a difficult and expensive cancer battle.
I tried not to stress about my situation because I was too overjoyed and celebrating the fact that I fought cancer and I won and was a cancer survivor. I knew that with my continued faith and trust in God, the financial issues would be overcome as well as the struggle to adjust back into life after cancer.
Please remember to take it one day at a time, keep the same positive outlook and reach out to someone if you are struggling. Like a couple of saying go “There is Strength in Numbers” and “Together We Stand, Divided We Fall”.
#PositiveOutlook
Cancer: The Upside 
Thank you for making me aware of the mental stress and then I guess we take our NHS for granted something we shouldn’t . Nice to be in contact. 🤗🙏🙏🙏🤗Have a good day/evening/oh dear I must work this out.😅
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Sandy, yes, unfortunately we don’t have NHS or anything like it here therefore medical bills for any kind of illness are a burden to many of us. However, God is good, and he always provides. 😊🙏🙏🙏🧡
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t imagine how a country can’t help it’s people with their medical problems free of charge. Sad!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of my best friends passed away from cancer last year. I miss her deeply. She didn’t always want to go into detail about how she was feeling or what she needed because she was stubborn like that. Near the end, right before she found out that she relapsed, she joined a group for survivors and made a ton of new friends. She began taking trips across the country just for her and she was thriving. I think she knew in the back of her mind that something was wrong. The friendships she made helped sustain her towards the end. I’ll forever be thankful of their love and support towards her. Binding together like a tribe of sisters.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi thank you for sharing your personal experience with me about your best friend during her cancer battle. I’m really sorry for your loss.
All I can say is that when I was fighting my cancer battle I didn’t want to talk to anyone about my inner turmoil because I didn’t want to cause them more pain or be more of a burden to them. Unfortunately, I was not aware of any support groups at that time which in retrospect would have been a great blessing.
I’m glad your bestfriend found the support group that helped her. I’m sure it made a world of difference.
Thank you so much for all your support and for sharing your experience. I truly appreciate it.
I like to know about other people’s experiences and how people have been impacted by cancer.
LikeLiked by 3 people