Managing Work, Family and Social Life Post Cancer Treatment
Many patients question whether they are making the right decisions to continue with their regular profession because of the stigma that is associated with cancer. Remember, Cancer is not a life altering disease that takes away your ability to have a normal life. There are changes, and we need to adapt to those changes that might affect our
working hours and productivity levels, but our profession and career is as important as
the next person’s.
Acknowledge your situation and the fact that you might need to shape
your work life accordingly, but also be aware that your ability to work, achieve your
goals or even just keeping yourself busy is still very much your right.
It’s also important to communicate with your boss, management and work colleagues. Try not to keep your diagnosis a secret amongst everyone. The right people who work in
close proximity to you should know. Be ok if there is a level of sympathy that you might
feel from them at the start, because most people don’t know how to react or instead
tell them that you don’t need it. You are fine and would like to be treated normally.
The more normal you are with them, the more normal they will be with you. If you still find some who are sympathetic, then it’s best to spend less time around them.
When treatment ends, families are often unprepared for the fact that recovery takes time. In general, your recovery will take much longer than your treatment did. Survivors often say that they didn’t realize how much time they needed to recover. This can lead to disappointment, worry and frustration for everyone. Families also may not realize that the way their family works may have changed permanently as a result of cancer. They may need help dealing with the changes and keeping the “new” family strong.
Some survivors say they would not have been able to cope without the help and love of their family members and even though treatment has ended, they still receive a lot of support. For other families, problems that were present before the cancer diagnosis may still exist, or new ones may develop. You may receive less support than you had hoped.
Clear communication with other family members is important. Often, friends and other members of the community feel uncomfortable discussing cancer with those experiencing its effects and, as a result, many families can feel closed off. It’s best however for people to be open and honest and talk about the struggles they are facing if they feel it may help.
Tags: cancer wellness, cancer care, cancer survivor, post cancer thoughts, healing and recovery, mental well-being, emotional challenges, family and cancer, work life post cancer, social life, cancer survivor, cancer counseling, cancer journey, cancer, cancer survivors
