Does Anyone Else Wonder What To Do Now That The Treatments Are Over?

Dear Candace and all concerned: First of all, let me congratulate you on your willingness to reach out to others. Everyone needs someone everyday in their lives, and staying open to receiving input from others will help you tremendously. I'm finishing up some tests today to see if my non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is still in remission. You and I and anyone who has had cancer are veterans in a war against cancer. None of us volunteered to participate in this war, yet we find ourselves on the front lines. We have been attacked by a terrorist on our homeland, from within and it has affected everyone who knows us. We have seen pain and suffering, and yes sometimes death seems all around us. Yet we live to fight another day.

My family doctor warned me of these feelings you are having. The reason I use the analogy of being at war is because you and all of us feel as if we have been to war and no one can really understand unless they have been there. You have every right to feel the way you do, and yes you will get better. Your body will heal long before your emotions and your mind do. Do it at your pace, but just make sure you do it. You are a unique and special person, who has learned how, day by day, to overcome one of the most cowardly, despicable diseases in the world. Imagine the power you now have!! Please feel free to get very mad at this disease for disrupting your life and the life of those you love.

You are not lost, you are in charge. None of us can control the quantity, or the length of our lives, so we must focus on the quality of our lives. You must find something to be thankful for every single moment that you can. No matter how small it seems. You are a warrior, who will find what it is in you that others just don't know yet. Your God has blessed you with that chance. Think no other way, and your life will be full, no matter how long you have to fight. This miserable disease may someday take our bodies, but it cannot kill our spirits!! God bless. Rob

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for answering my message. Cancer is a slap in the face and the heart. I have had a lot of time to think in the past year and to decide what is important in life and what isn't. My small circle of family and friends have been here to encourage me and to just listen when I think out loud. I have also made visits to a wonderful psychologist who is very understanding because his wife has cancer. If you need something like antidepressants to help you through, try them. If one doesn't work there are many more. I found that Celexa helps me stop obsessing about the evil one (cancer). I am not very religious in the formal sense, but I talk to God almost every day and keep St. Peregrine close to me. I have one friend who lost her husband to melanoma 2 yrs. ago and she has been the best friend ever. She makes me laugh till fluids come out my nose. I try to keep a positive attitude and enjoy every moment I have. I think I'm going back to work next week, which will be another step at getting back to me, although wearing pantyhose again doesn't turn me on. We must use the time we have well. I will pray for all of you. I'm leaving a lot out of this note, because there is so much. I just wanted to let you know that I got your messages and really appreciate them. If any of you want to talk please e-mail me at Primrose@gisco.net. I will answer. I will also be back here. Thank you so much. I think of you all with hope, peace and love. Candy

Good post Rob.....thanks for it. Be well.....Jan

I too am a survivor of non-Hodgkin’s and it's a daily battle. I imagine all kind of horrible things I even go so far as to imagine a headache is a sign the cancer moved to my brain. I have been so well blessed with support, the support of my co-workers and my boss has been outstanding, my friends from church who have prayed for me through the worst and most of all my husband who I never thought could be as strong as he was. I have been out of treatment almost a year but the sheer hell of waiting for a relapse is almost enough to send you over the edge. Since I am incurable (but containable) it’s just a waiting game. My thoughts and prayers are with you and keep positive because that is the only way you will win.

Dear Candace,
Please find a very good ND (naturopathic doctor).
An ND can really help your body get strong and build up your immune system and detoxify you from the chemo treatments which will help your immune system get back up is quite important and and ND can guide you through that. An ND can put you on the course of staying healthy, nutrition, supplements, etc. now that the crises management is over.
I am a pancreatic cancer survivor, and strongly believe this.

Take care, all the best
Irma M.

I have read your reply and am very interested in your recommendation of an ND. I have completed chemo and last week antibody (maintenance) IVs since the cancer is incurable. Next check up is in mid-July. Since the cancer is in my lymph system I feel very strongly about nutrition, supplements, etc. but am having a hard time finding a regimen -- there is so much info and so many supplements I can decide what is best for me. My question would be how to go about finding a doctor I can trust and feel he is doing best for me?

Congratulations and continued good health to you. Linda

I am a Certified Nutritional Consultant and I help a lot of clients in just your situation. I do not recommend my service over anyone else’s but I do recommend that you find someone with some experience who can walk with you through this journey. There are a lot of things that you can be doing to ensure that your life be one of peace about your situation. Support is so very important. Friends, clergy, professionals. People who CARE how you are feeling. People who can encourage you to be responsible for your own life from now on. Email me if you would like to talk further. If not, please contact a CNC or a Naturopath in your area.

Hello, anyone who needs information about this type of cancer or wants to share information please send me a message.

MiMi

grandmother to Carly age 6
dx mes chondro 7/2002
surgery/chemo/proton beam radiation
OT & NED 2/2003

See if you can find a Reiki practitioner in your area. Reiki is a very wonderful complementary therapy which can help provide you w/ the energy needed to continue the fight. Here is an excellent site to learn more.

[http://www.reiki.nu/reiki/reiki.html ]

I received reiki treatments regularly during the initial A/C&T treatments {Stage III breast cancer - 1.5 yrs of chemo (A/C & Taxol) & adjunct therapies (Herceptin, Radiation & Fareston)} and it allowed me to continue working full time. In fact the days that I wasn't able to receive the reiki, my side effects were much, much worse. Shortly after I completed the A/C&T, I received the Level 1 Reiki Attunement so I could give myself daily reiki treatments. The connection to the Universal Life Energy, established during the attunement process, has given me the strength to continue my fight. I no longer feel that I am fighting alone. If you cannot find anyone in your area, go to the [www.reikisecrets.com] website where you can receive a free attunement and then let me know so I can explain the how to's, etc... You may even be able to branch out and become a practitioner yourself (instead of the massage) as Reiki requires no energy input from you, and you would actually receive reiki as you give it to others, allowing you to help others without harm to yourself and to find a purpose to continue the fight.

My best to you & yours, ......luv Hannah.

To those who have completed their treatments, are in remission and are wondering what next, I say.... we've been given a second chance. I too am afraid of reoccurrance [terrified actually as I just completed 1.5 yrs of chemo (A/C & Taxol) & adjunct therapies (Herceptin, Radiation & Fareston) to treat Stage III breast cancer] but just think, we're alive! Hell, if your chemo was as fun as mine was.... then each and every one of us has already walked through the valley of the shadow of death and lived to tell about it.

So, my question to you is... What do YOU really want to get from this life? You now have a chance to start over... isn't there something you have always wanted to do but were too busy or too afraid to do? Grab the GIFT of life you've been given with both hands - and, well - SHAKE HARD! just to see what falls out. You know, live each day....

Now, I realize finances are rough for all of us but there are a lot of things out there we can do to enjoy this gift we've been given. An actual chance to start over. Personally, I've been working on changing as many of the self destructive and self abusive behaviors I can; such as - my diet, exersize (started yoga & Tai Chi), I'm getting a divorce, and am looking forward to spending a lot of time giving back for all the support I've received along the way. Once I'm strong enough I'd like to volunteer my Reiki skills @ the cancer center where I received my care, maybe also work at a farm near where I live that uses horses (pet tharapy) to reach troubled teens and for the long term, I am planning on opening a Wellness Center for sick children & their families. I expect the center will take 5-10 yrs to have up and running but who cares? I don't have children of my own, will be single in 3 months, and I want to do SOMETHING WORTHWHILE w/ my life.

Just think about it.... then go out and do something about it..... What do we have to lose that we haven't already????

My best to you & yours, luv Hannah.