People feel all sorts of different emotions when their cancer treatment ends.
People feel all sorts of different emotions when their cancer treatment ends.
Some feel able to get on with life easily when their treatment finishes, and put the experience behind them.
Others find the physical and emotional impact of their cancer hits home when it's all over, and experience difficult feelings like
, [anger or .You may feel:
You may feel guilty about having difficult feelings because your family and doctors have worked so hard to get you to this point.
You may feel you have to put on a positive front to protect friends and family.
These emotions should ease over time, but you may need help coping with them in the meantime.
You may also be dealing with some physical changes, such as hair loss or the
, after cancer and cancer treatment.This can be hard to come to terms with and your self-esteem may have taken a knock.
You may still be coping with short- or long-term effects of cancer treatment, such as appetite loss, fatigue, changes to your sex life or the side effects of ongoing medication.
Some people are most comfortable talking about their cancer experience with their partner or a close family member.
Or you may prefer to talk to a healthcare professional or to people who have been through cancer treatment themselves.
You can discuss your feelings and get advice and support from:
You may also find the following advice helpful for coping with the physical and emotional after-effects of cancer:
Cancer and cancer treatments can leave you feeling fatigued (overwhelmingly tired).
Listen to your body and give yourself time to adjust.
Try the "3 Ps" – prioritise, plan and pace yourself – as a way of coping until the fatigue starts to lift:
Read more self-help tips on fighting fatigue.
Being physically active can help to reduce your fatigue, if you go about it in the right way.
Start with a small amount of physical activity and gradually increase it over time. Don't do more than you feel able to. The type of exercise you choose can also be important.
See Macmillan's advice about exercise after cancer treatment.
Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.