In the US in 2023, every minute, there were an estimated 4 new cases and 1 death. Cancer affects an estimated 1.9 million people yearly in the United States alone.
Physical Toll of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Post-Treatment Life
The scale of these numbers is nothing short of drastic, underscoring the profound impact of cancer on society. My mom was one of these statistics when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2019.
If you think the high number of cases is bad, brace yourself for the harrowing journey survivors face during Treatment Life (TL) and post-Treatment Life (PTL). Beating cancer isn’t a straightforward victory; it’s an ever-evolving process with the looming threat of a comeback. TL can span from months to years, and PTL easily extends to at least 2/3 years. The toll, both physical and emotional, is immense and lingers on in the emotional landscape of survivors.
The physical toll on patients during TL is tremendous, and can even lead to lasting side effects and conditions. For example, baldness caused by Chemotherapy and burns caused by Radiation therapy. These physical side effects of treatment can also lead to serious emotional/mental effects, including anger, tension, sadness, or even loneliness.
Similarly, the PTL stage of a cancer survivor’s journey encompasses many physical challenges. Besides being on the look-out for the signs of recurrence, you may be living through lingering side effects from your original treatments.
Emotional Toll
Furthermore, being a cancer survivor entails a great emotional impact. During PTL, there is an intermediate or transitional time called ‘remission’, when survivors may not feel quite like a “patient” anymore because they are no longer being treated for cancer. But, you may not feel confident enough that you are cured.
Many survivors have a variety of feelings during remission, such as: feeling untethered, being in limbo, living in a constant state of “watchful waiting”, or feeling anxious and fearful about recurrence.
There may be times when the joy you feel about survival far outweighs any anxieties you may have. Then, there will be times when your fears and uncertainties seem to take over your life, and you wonder if you will ever feel normal again. Given this, it is not very hard to imagine how this affects one’s job/career, relationships, finances, and in turn, mental health… a vicious loop! Survivors need a lot of help with emotional support, including anxiety, depression, grief, and distress to adapt to life after cancer.
Evidently, being diagnosed with cancer is one of the most unimaginable challenges you and your family must overcome. Based on our personal experience and speaking with other survivors, we found that one-on-one emotional support is the best solution to overcome this emotional toll!