Living With Cancer

The diagnosis of breast cancer can change a woman's life and the lives of those close to her. These changes can be hard to handle. It is common for the woman and her family and friends to have many different and sometimes confusing emotions.

At times, patients and their loved ones may be frightened, angry, or depressed. These are normal reactions when people face a serious health problem. Many people find it helps to share their thoughts and feelings with the loved ones. Sharing can help everyone feel more at ease. It can open the way for others to show their concern and often their support.

Sometimes women who have had breast cancer are afraid that changes to their body will affect not only how they look but also how other people feel about them. They may be concerned that breast cancer, its stigma, its social implications, its treatment, how it will affect her physical relationship. Many couples find that talking about these concerns helps them find ways to express their love during and after treatment.
Cancer patients may worry about holding a job, caring for their families, or starting new relationships. Worries about tests, treatments, hospital stays, and medical bills are also common. Doctors, nurses, or other members of the health care team can help calm fears and ease confusion about treatment, working, or daily activities. Also, meeting with a nurse, social worker, counselor, volunteer, or member of the clergy can be helpful to patients who want to talk about their feelings or discuss their concerns about the future or about personal relationships.od that symbolizes beauty, freedom and the flight of letting go.

• Rehabilitation ideally begins at the moment of diagnosis and continues through therapy
• Concepts of quality of life is as tantamount as is survivorship, both are critical to recovery. Definition of quality of life in this case is not just survival but is a 'a personal sense of well-being encompassing multilevel perspective
• The multidimensional nature of quality of life would include all arenas of life - the physical, psychological, social and spiritual
• Survival on the other hand would go beyond just the process of living through the diagnosis and prognosis. It would require the individual's capacity to endure and manage the situation - from both physical and psychological aspects
• The end of treatment marks an intensive time of psycho-social adjustment to recovery.
• Members of the health care team can provide information and suggest other resources.