An article brought to you by Dara Kurtz. Dara Kurtz is a breast cancer survivor and provides Survivor Mentorship & Support at Cancer Services.
Navigating Life After Active Treatment
For those of you who have completed active treatment, congratulations! What a huge milestone and moment to celebrate. But, you might be wondering, “Now what?”
If you are, this is absolutely normal, and you’ve come to the right place. It can be a challenging space to be in, but don’t worry, here are 5 things cancer survivors should consider when figuring out their ongoing care after active treatment:
Create a Survivorship Care Plan
It’s essential to work with your oncology team to figure out what you’re ongoing care will look like in terms of how often you will see your doctor, get bloodwork done, and have routine scans. This plan should be in writing, not just a conversation, so that you can go back and look at it if you have any questions or forget. The good news is there are resources available to help you with this. Here are two resources to look at:
Cancer Nation puts out an excellent checklist for survivors.
Another checklist we recommend is one by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Both of the above tools are helpful for cancer patients/survivors. They can assist you in ensuring you are aware of the current recommendations for survivorship care regarding your follow-up care. If you don’t know the answers to some of the questions, you can always contact your Oncologist, Primary Care Practitioner, or Julie at Cancer Services.
Manage Long-Term Side Effects
Be aware of any physical, emotional, or cognitive side effects you might experience from the treatment you received. This way, you can look out for any symptoms and notify your doctor if anything comes up.
Coordinate Care Between Providers
Ensure your team of doctors communicates effectively with one another. For example, if you’re getting blood work taken by your Oncologist, you might not have to have this done at your checkup with your Primary Care Physician. When everyone is aware of your Survivorship Plan, it can help your care run more smoothly and might even be cost-effective.
Pay Attention to Your Lifestyle Choices
There’s a lot you can control when it comes to your lifestyle choices. Learn about the beneficial habits you can develop to impact your health positively. Nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and sleep can all play a role in keeping you as healthy as possible. Don’t know where to start? Check out the many Cancer Services/Cancer Dietitian resources to get you started on your journey.
Emotional and Mental Health Support
After going through treatment for cancer, you might be feeling scared or anxious. This is normal, and there are plenty of resources available to help you through this. You might want to talk to a therapist or counselor for a one-on-one session, or seek support by attending one of our support groups. Many people find that talking with other survivors who had the same type of cancer they had is very helpful. While everyone’s cancer journey is different, it can be very beneficial to talk with others who can relate to what you have been through.
Most importantly, know you aren’t alone. There are many resources and people available to help you navigate life after cancer treatment. Contact us at Cancer Services if you need help connecting to available resources. Come by our office, call (336-760-9983), or email (julie@cancerservicesonline.org)!
Dara Kurtz is a breast cancer survivor and provides Survivor Mentorship & Support at Cancer Services. To read more tips from Dara Kurtz, check out our Thrive tips page. You can also visit her website and subscribe to her newsletter.
