The following is a personal account of living with cancer, written by Gail McIlroy of Hawkestone. Click here to read the about the first part of Gail’s journey. To read her second account, about a new stage of the journey, click here.
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This is my third time writing about my journey with cancer. It has such a huge impact on you, the patient, as well as your family and friends.
Spring is a great time to be on this journey; the days are longer and brighter. The blue skies are healing as you reflect on your journey!
So at last you find yourself in recovery mode.
Recovery is different than was expected. In my case I knew I would bounce back quickly. Guess what? I was wrong.
It takes time. In my case, the chemotherapy took all the strength out of my legs. It fascinates me, the length of time one takes to recover. Each day moving a little closer to being normal.
Everyone is different just like the many recipes for chemotherapy prescribed. It should be noted a general rule for recovering from chemotherapy is two months for every month of chemotherapy treatment
Do yourself a favour and take on a project that interests you. It’s important to keep an active mind.
Let your body get the rest it needs. Resting is important to let the cells rejuvenate.
You're not the first person to get cancer nor will you be the last.
Research keeps on finding new ways to treat this “beast.” We are fortunate to have a health system that assists patients in receiving treatments quickly and in some cases treatment is close to you geographically.
Although taking time off work isn’t ideal, most employers are understanding. Take recovery as a time to be with family and friends; take advantage of the nice weather we have.
Be diligent and remember you are immune compromised for at least 21 to 28 days from your last treatment.
I am finding the best way to recover from months of treatment — aside from rest — is staying hydrated, eating nutritional meals, and attempting to create the feeling of normalcy, staying in touch with those close to me, staying positive — which includes laughing at yourself and going easy on myself.
It’s important to remember all questions should be directed to your cancer team.
It’s true, we often feel unsettled after treatments are over. We think about the cancer returning, body image, low self esteem because visually our body has been altered.
COVID has changed support groups, so even though they are not in-person, many offer Zoom conferencing at this time. It’s healthy and healing to share feelings with such groups. Think, soon you will be dancing.
We are all so very fortunate to live in the area we live in, knowing treatment is close by and quick to access. Both Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital offer excellent care, professionals who know so well the ways to deal with cancer patients. Am I grateful? You betcha!
Sending out well wishes for all of you experiencing this journey.
