Coping With Cancer Therapy

A diagnosis of cancer is inevitably a traumatic experience. However, coping with cancer therapy is undoubtedly one of the worse experiences that a person can go through. It is perhaps hard for one to imagine this without actually going through it.

There are a few common modes of cancer therapy. These include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. My experience with cancer patients suggests that all these modes can be difficult for persons undergoing cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy is sometimes associated with general lethargy and a distressing feeling of being more ill than when treatment started. There may be episodes of nausea and vomiting, loss of hair and other signs of toxicity . Radiotherapy can also be challenging. This can be quite unpleasant for some and there are also side effects. Likewise, any surgery involves some discomfort.

In addition to the physical challenges, there are also psychological stresses. Coming face to face with ones mortality can be a very frightening and humbling experience. Many probably become overwhelmed by thoughts that are usually distant and fleeting. These may include thoughts of death, unfulfilled dreams, the care of children left behind and the frailty of man. There may also be feelings of anger and manifestations of other stages of the grief process as well as the inevitable question, why me?

I have just added an article giving a general overview of the common therapies in cancer care. Many patients will require more than one mode of treatment. This will be followed soon by some less common cancer therapies. For those who have been through cancer therapy, I invite you to share your experiences here by joining the discussion.

--