Team Ellie

Team Ellie

Monday 17 April 2017

What to expect from the first month of remission| LifeAfterCancer

1 month seems a long time, but in actual fact it really isn't. It surprised me how quickly I regained my strength and energy after just one month. It goes to show how much of a battering the body takes whilst on chemo drugs. Of course my energy is nowhere near perfect - it can take months and sometimes years for energy to come back fully, but for now it feels a lot better than it did when I was on treatment. You aren't going to be climbing mountains or running marathons anytime soon, but you will feel a new found energy that you didn't have before.

It is important to embrace that energy by getting back to work/school, exercise and hobbies. Although this is important please remember not to rush anything. When I have talked to other cancer patients, they have said how they didn't feel ready to get back to school, but they almost felt guilty if they didn't. This is completely understandable to feel. Remember that just because you are off of treatment that doesn't mean you have to revert back to everything you used to do before. Take your time and get back into those things when you are ready.

It can take a long time for your body to feel recovered after cancer treatment. After all it has been battered for the past however many months with toxic drugs. Keep this in mind, because you don't want to over do it. It is important that you let your body heal in remission, and it won't be able to heal properly if you are wearing it down. A big tip I suggest is to do a part time schedule at school/work until you feel strong enough to get back into it full time. Listen to your body and don't feel pressured by anyone else to do more than you can do.

Now for the medical side of things. You will still have hospital appointments to attend to, but no where near as many as in treatment. The doctors will want to check your blood once a month until your blood count has risen up. Now that you are off of treatment you can start reducing some of your medications, but make sure you check with your doctor first. Obviously the medical side of things is different for everyone, so don't take my word for it.

Congratulations on your first month in remission! Feel free to comment down below your experience so far or any questions you have. 
Lots of love,
Ellie xxx