After the treatment finishes - then what? (Dr Peter Harvey)
A Note from the Clinical Services Manager at CCT
Of all the resources found here, the article by Peter Harvey which we have had on our website for several years, has been the one to which we most often send people. It addresses the period of the cancer trajectory which is often overlooked how it feels when the treatment finishes, and the issues of cancer survival.
We are now very fortunate to have a much extended version of this original article. Though still entitled When the Treatment Finishes, it addresses much more and will be useful to many who are still in the midst of treatment. Indeed, if you are a cancer patient, or someone close to a cancer patient, this group of short essays is for you. Dr Harvey has broken things down into small manageable chunks, so you can concentrate of the sections that feel most relevant whether you are experiencing the particular difficulties that come with cancer treatment, or are dealing with the impact of cancer on your life once hospital treatment has finished.
01 Overview This section of the website is designed for people who are regaining their life after treatment for ...
02 Background The material presented here has been adapted by Dr Peter Harvey from two presentations which he gave...
03 Introduction Imagine, for a moment, that your progress through life is like being on a small boat. For most of t...
04 The tasks of recovery It may seem a bit daunting to see a heading like this - after all, you’ve just come through months o...
05 Beginning to recover & Recouperation It is important to emphasise that recovery is a process, not an event. It’s not something that just ...
06 Convalescence This is a rather old-fashioned term, and in some ways it’s a shame that it has fallen into disuse, d...
07 Getting back to normal It is important at this early stage to address the common hope on the part of patients and those clo...
08 Surviving cancer - some figures Looking at statistics is not for everyone, so if you are one of those people for whom the survival f...
09 Survivor - what’s in a name? So who is a survivor? This is a controversial area and there is no real agreement as to who fits this description.
10 Regaining trust in your body For many of you, your cancer will have been discovered whilst you were feeling reasonably well and h...
11 Regaining trust in your body - Managing the fears A fairly common experience when people become frightened by unusual and unexpected changes in their ...
12 Dealing with a changed body One of the many possible consequences of treatment for cancer is a changed body - either temporary o...
13 Dealing with Fatigue Of all the many consequences of cancer treatment, fatigue may be one of the most common and the most...
14 Dealing with ‘chemobrain’ A number of people report that their brain doesn’t seem to work as well during chemo - a phenomenon ...
15 Regaining trust in yourself Many people, from all walks of life, say that one of the most difficult consequences of their illnes...
16 Why don’t I feel happier? There are two sets of feelings that commonly arise at the time of treatment finishing which need to ...
17 Regaining trust in the ‘system’ It is an unfortunate truth that some people have very bad experiences at the hands of the health-car...
18 Regaining trust in the outside world You won't need to be reminded just how helpful a kindly word or supportive act can be. Likewise, you...
19 Getting back into the ‘ordinary’ world Most people think that cancer is like other illnesses - once treatment is completed, the disease is ...
20 Going back to work This particular problem (how you identify yourself and how you talk about your illness) has a specia...
21 Leaving work For some of you, the decision about work will be to leave completely. Again, this may not be a reali...
22 Living with uncertainty This is one of the most difficult aspects of living with the aftermath of cancer. You will note that...
23 It’s not always all bad Some people report that the overall experience of cancer is not all bad or negative and that sometim...
24 What do we mean by coping? The concept of coping is not specific to dealing with life after the treatment has finished but ther...
25 Do I need therapy? There may be times when you feel that everything is getting on top of you and that you would benefit...
26 On being positive and thinking positive There may have been times (indeed, there may still be times) when you have been told/exhorted/ordere...
27 Regaining a sense of mastery and control The overall theme of this site is summed up in this phrase. We have seen how some of the losses that...
28 Closing words We have made a number of references to Alan Bennett's description of his experience of cancer, a moving, perceptive and wonderfully honest account as you might expect.
29 Further reading and references ‘Patient-focussed’ reading Find the right heading for this is difficult because you you are n...
The Cancer Counselling Trust has now closed.
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