all the cancer treatment finished, why feeling so lost

[Mexican cuties]

sorry to vent, ask, week after radiotherapy for breast cancer has finished, is it normal to feel so lost, apart from being red, itchy, not sleeping and no appetite, feels weird to have no routine, 15 sessions in total, feel so knackered, i know this is supposed to be normal but what a ride x

[996Type]

Sorry to hear your struggling, its great news you caught the cancer and got the treatment through to completion.

From experience, the physiological effects will phase out based on the dosage / frequency of treatment.

I’d gently suggest speaking to one of the fantastic cancer charities about both these and the psychological effects post treatment now that your body has been subjected to such aggressive medicine.

The emotional impact of both the disease and its cure take a massive toll and you should get all the help you can that’s available.

Best wishes for your recovery and for the future!

https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/who/what-we-do#:~:te...

[cRaigAl205]

I've had around 30 sessions of Radio- finishing late last September- and the last side effects I can directly attribute to the treatment are about wearing off now! The fatigue is absolutely the worst I found, but it does wear off, I promise! I no longer need to sleep all day and actually wake up actually feeling refreshed.

I completely understand the feeling of loss of structure- I'm halfway though the first week with no hospital appointments/blood tests/treatment sessions booked in, I don't know what to do with myself!

I can only recommend that you try and jot down a fatigue diary, and aim to do a little more activity each day- within reason. Even 1 - 2 % more each day, you'll start to see progress and that will give you a sense of purpose!

I think alot of people do feel lost when treatment is over- I'm not there yet, but I can imagine the safety net of the Oncologist being moved further away being quite worrysome..

996Type is absolutely right- there is a huge amount of support available, from mental health, support returning to work, financial advice, a total 360° for living with cancer & treatment.

I would also recommend contacting:

Maggies Centres if there is one near you https://www.maggies.org/
Macmillian https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

Best of luck with it all

[simon_harris]

The thing I really struggled with was waiting to find out how successful the treatment had been, I knew my big tumours were gone because physically they could not be felt any more.

From a mental perspective it was odd not to have my life ruled by medications, infusions and all that goes along with doing chemo. the fatigue and recovery did take a fair while for me but my chemo was pretty brutal due to the type of cancers I had.

A friend that had breast cancer treatment took more than 18 months to get back to her normal again.

[popeyewhite]

Mexican cuties said:

sorry to vent, ask, week after radiotherapy for breast cancer has finished, is it normal to feel so lost, apart from being red, itchy, not sleeping and no appetite, feels weird to have no routine, 15 sessions in total, feel so knackered, i know this is supposed to be normal but what a ride x

It is entirely natural, but the 'ride; is now over. In a perverse way you are experiencing loss, the loss of identity as a cancer patient. Your old 'job', if you will, was to keep yourself motivated and to get through your treatment and now treatment has ended what are your immediate targets? Try to plan for the future in little steps.

I'm an Adult Bereavement Therapist working in Cancer Care. I have personal experience of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Good luck and enjoy your new life!