Even after treatment is done, it’s necessary for you to keep monitoring your body to make sure that cancer cells don’t come back. If you have gotten cancer once, there will always be a possibility of the cancer coming back. Even if it doesn’t come back, you will still have to be cautious for the rest of your life to prevent the possibility of a recurrence.

 

However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t do things that you previously wanted to do. The first few years after cancer may be stressful, yet you can still accomplish things, travel, socialize, and be joyful. Life after cancer IS enjoyable!

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What really is recovery?

 

Recovery is the process of returning to normalcy after an incident (in this case, cancer). To make a speedy and full recovery to good health after cancer treatment is over, it is necessary to have a strong body and peace of mind. This recovery can be split into many areas: physical, mental, social, emotional, family rehabilitation, and economic rehabilitation.

 

~Strategies~

 

Physical recovery is simply the “return to normalcy” of the physical body. Cancer medicines can damage the functioning of some organs and can also cause fatigue in the muscles. Chemotherapy/Radiation can also have side effects on bones and can cause the body as a whole to feel very weak.

For physical recovery, the body’s muscles and bones are exercised to regain their full potential. Stretching exercises, yoga, and muscle work is usually done. The body’s activity level is increased so that it can get back into shape. Certain medicines may be prescribed to reduce the pain in bones and muscles. In the end, exercise is the best activity for a speedy physical recovery.

 

Mental recovery is also very important. The body is only as strong as the mind; a strong mind allows the body to recover faster and with more energy. Here are some ways that the brain can be strengthened:

Talk openly with friends and family, and don’t try to hide if you’re feeling pain. Try to act uplifting and smile more often, so that those around you won’t feel so bad. Cancer’s effect reaches well beyond the person who was diagnosed. Indeed, if everyone around you feels uplifted, then that vibe will affect you too. The more you communicate how you feel with others, the better you will feel. Don’t try to keep your emotions inside yourself, as it will only make you sink deeper into negative thoughts.

Try to manage your stress through physical activities. Busy yourself so that you don’t spend time sitting idly, but remember that adequate sleep is important. Sleep is the body’s way of healing itself – the more sleep you get, the faster your recovery will be.

Most importantly, learn new things! The more you learn and exercise your mind, the stronger your brain will become. This will certainly help you recover faster from the after-effects of cancer treatment.

 

Emotional, mental, and social areas of recovery are therefore very closely interconnected. Responding to your body’s emotions and keeping hope in your mind can help a lot in all these areas.

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Family rehab is also linked with this. Families can be greatly affected when a member gets cancer. Since support is key during cancer, relatives can become stressed and exhausted just like the patient. These effects can persist even after treatment is complete. However, simple family gatherings and more talking between relatives and the cancer survivor can help family members feel more relaxed.

 

For economic rehabilitation, there are many Indian government initiatives going on. Already, the government is paying money for many people’s cancer treatments, so finding economic rehabilitation help is not difficult. For more information, you could check out government websites or talk to someone in the government.

 

Lastly, there are many groups that help with all of this cancer recovery – physical, mental, social, and more! We have made a list of some of these groups here:

CPAA – https://cancer.org.in/

Indian Cancer Society – https://www.indiancancersociety.org/

Cancer Winners’ Club – https://www.sankalpbeautifulworld.org/cancer-winners-club/

The Cancer Charity – https://www.thecancercharity.org/

UHAPO online forum – https://uhapo.co.in/community/main-category/

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