Although you might be in remission, recovering from cancer is a long and gradual process. Even if you are impatient to return to normal, cancer can leave physical and emotional scars which are difficult to overcome. However, this guide can help you to feel like yourself again as soon as possible and can help you to move forward into your post-cancer life.
1. Restore Your Hair
Many types of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can cause hair loss, and this can impact your confidence and sense of self-esteem, especially when you are starting to go back out to work and social occasions. If you are worried about your hair and the length of time that it will take to grow back, or if you believe that it needs a kickstart, you should consider getting a hair transplant. To see what a hair transplant can do for you, you should look at the differences between before and after a hair transplant.
2. Regain Your Physical Strength
Although cancer might be gone, months spent in hospital or struggling to perform a lot of exercises can leave you without the physical strength that you once had. Not only this, but cancer treatments can take it out of you and leave their mark on your body. You may find that your lack of physical strength is preventing you from enjoying your hobbies or from returning to work, especially if you do manual work. You should focus on regaining your strength by performing different muscle-building exercises, by going to physiotherapy, and by visiting the gym once you feel up to it.
3. Don’t Ignore Your Emotions
In some cases, it can be much harder to recover emotionally than physically, and months of tough cancer treatment can leave you feeling emotionally exhausted. Rather than bottle these emotions up or try to brush them off, you should acknowledge and try to come to terms with them. If you need help in doing this, you should visit a therapist with whom you can discuss your feelings in an unbiased manner.
4. Get the Support You Need
When you are recovering from cancer, it can be difficult to do this alone. Therefore, you should make sure that you get the support that you need from loved ones. You may also need support financially, especially if you have been unable to work for a long time, and this can help to reduce the stress and anxiety that you might be feeling, as well as the pressure to return to work.
5. Keep in Contact With Your Doctor
Although you might be sick of seeing doctors and medical centers, you must keep in contact with your doctor through the first few months of your remission. They will be able to advise you on the steps that you, as an individual, can take toward recovery, and you will be able to report any symptoms or difficulties that you are having to them as soon as possible. This will ensure that any issues are caught as soon as possible and that you are taking the right steps.
