We come back home from our last visit to the oncologist disappointed with his reaction but at the same time elated that our ordeal is done. Finally finished!! … so now what?! I sat and pondered my situation. During the treatment, I felt somehow special. I was a “protected species” as someone undergoing extremely difficult times. People were sympathetic all around me and made me feel special. I remember...
At the end of the six months of chemo, I was in a poor state. Mentally and physically fatigued, severely depressed, lack of focus, no short-term memory, unable to express myself, and often not understanding what I was being told. This created embarrassing situations – such as inviting friends for lunch and not remembering they were coming. I am a fairly good driver but my car during those six...
During a recent yoga therapy class at the oncology clinic, I listened to a breast cancer patient talk about her chemo treatment experience. She said she was surprised at how little the treatments affected her. She said she felt fine, even right after treatment and that no one would have known about the chemo had it not been for her lack of hair. “I hope you realize how lucky...
Chemotherapy, also called chemo, may come in different stages for different cancers. For those like lymphoma and leukemia, chemo comes right after the diagnosis, as there is no surgery involved. For cancers that involve tumors – carcinomas and sarcomas – chemo typically comes after the surgery, as a preventive measure. However, in cases where a tumor may be too big to operate, chemo may be recommended before surgery to...
The time I call “post-surgery” is the time for healing after the surgery. Depending on the individual and the seriousness of the operation, it takes four to six weeks to recover. Recovery, in this case, means the time before going to the next step of the recommended treatment. Increasing levels of anxiety, fear of the unknown and physical pain mark this four to six-week period. We are surrounded by...
After an agonizing time of waiting, we are asked finally to do a biopsy (in case of tumors). This is the only test that gives 100% certainty, but it is also the most expensive one. As we leave the doctor’s office after, the dreaded words: “It is Cancer!” still ring in our ears. But many people hear something different – they hear “Death is coming now!” Now comes the...
I am dedicating the next few blogs to the cancer journey from the perspective of a patient. There is extensive literature on traditional cancer treatments and on what is available. But so far, I have not found anything that would describe typically what a patient is going through during the cancer journey. When I say “cancer journey” I mean the time when we first learn that there might be...
