Can You Drink Alcohol After Cancer Treatment?

The number of people surviving cancer is expected to continue to rise in the US in the following years. This is largely thanks to early detection and effective treatment. When people undergo cancer treatment, they can often feel that their life is on hold and cannot do the simple things they enjoy, such as enjoying a glass of wine with friends. Alcohol can interact with chemotherapy drugs, while also worsen some of the side effects of...

The diagnosis of cancer is traumatic and life-altering, but we work through our fears and begin treatment. Some treatment periods are only three or four months while others may require a year or more. And once we’ve completed our treatment, we face five years of surveillance to detect a recurrence at its earliest stage.

Every cancer survivor will admit that it is a daunting challenge to learn how to live again after treatment ends. We remember our cancer treatment because of its lingering...

Survivor’s guilt happens to many people — survivors of an airplane crash where other passengers died, September 11th survivors of the Twin Towers, survivors of mass shootings. Most cancer survivors have never thought about survivor’s guilt . When we are diagnosed, we are focused on our treatment and hoping that we’ll survive. The thought that we’ll feel guilty about surviving never enters our minds.

But then, someone who was in treatment at the same time succumbs to their disease or they...

One of the things that we learn about cancer very soon into our treatment is that everyone is different — we respond differently to chemotherapy and radiation. Some of us recover rapidly from a surgical procedure while for others, it takes an extended time. Every person’s cancer experience is different, yet we share many of the same experiences.

We think, “Boy, I wish I had known about this.” Another patient says, “I had no idea this could happen.”

What are some of the things that we...

It’s the moment that we’ve waited for and dreamed of, our treatment is done. No more chemo or radiation — we’ve recovered from surgery. Our oncologist says to us, “We’ll see you in three months.” We go to check-out, expecting to feel elated, but it suddenly hits us that no one is going to checking on us for the next three months.

You may experience an entirely different set of emotions than you expected. Instead of turning cartwheels of joy, you might feel “let-down” or “unsettled.” After...

Did you know that Sunday, June 2, 2019 is OUR DAY? It’s National Cancer Survivors Day. For the last 32 years, thousands of cancer survivors across the world recognize their cancer history and connect with other survivors.

National Cancer Survivors Day is not only a time for each of to reflect on our personal history with cancer — it’s also a day when we draw attention to one of the world’s most serious diseases. This is a day when we educate others about the challenges every cancer...

What is Bright Light Therapy for Cancer Survivors?

Cancer – a word that evokes emotions of fear, anxiety, and tension not just in the mind of the patient but of all the others around him as well. What is even more disturbing is that the life-threatening disease engulfs anyone beyond the barriers of age, gender, or even state of health. The causes remain vitally unknown despite years of research on the subject by top universities the world over and the outcomes can be severe, sometimes fatal....

Most cancer patients expect that when they complete their cancer treatment, they’ll pick up where they left off with their lives. They think that it will be kind of like the SERVPRO slogan — Like it never even happened.

We believe (or want to believe) that the time spent in cancer treatment was just a bad dream, and that once treatment has ended, we are done — finished — cured — never going back to those days again.

Are our expectations realistic?

Many cancer survivors are surprised when...

Can life after cancer include dating?

Of course it can — life after cancer should include living life to its fullest, including the development of deep and enduring relationships. Dating after cancer can be more complicated because you may have physical scars, long term medical issues and physical/sexual issues. But no one is perfect. Other people have health problems too.

What kinds of cancer survivors might be interested in dating again?

Well, almost any cancer survivor could potentially...

Getting our bodies back into condition after cancer treatment is an important part of survivorship. Rehabilitation after cancer treatment can help us regain what we thought we might have lost and enjoy an enhanced quality of life.

Evidence shows that physical therapy after cancer treatment is underprescribed. We might only think of physical therapy as being for people who were injured in an accident or who had hip-or-knee replacement surgery.

You may not realize that physical therapy can...