R & R After Cancer

In mid-May I discussed the updated Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors.

Let's return to that document to highlight an idea about recovery after treatment for cancer or other illness or injury that can promote healing.

In a section titled "Recovery Immediately After Treatment," the authors state, "After cancer therapy has been completed, the next phase of cancer survivorship is recovery."

Wow. We've come a long way since I completed my first chemo in 1991. Back then, patients in treatment usually saw their future like a coin toss, believing they'd either be cured or die. So patients fell into one of two categories: "in treatment" or "done with cancer."

After my first few recurrences, I wrote a short article, "Becoming a Healthy Survivor After Cancer" * to offer two tips to patients who finish treatment, the first of which was to "Embrace Your R & R."

Patients often expect rest and relaxation -- R & R -- from cancer...Try thinking of post-treatment "R & R" as Remission and Recovery, the next phase of survivorship.

Thinking of recovery as a separate phase can help patients obtain sound knowledge, find and nourish hope, and take effective action -- i.e., promote Healthy Survivorship -- after treatment ends. As I concluded in the article, "During recovery, what matters most is not the difficulties or complications you have, but how you respond to them."

An excellent article in CureToday "Getting Well After Cancer"  reviews this transition phase.

Recovery is a transition. Healthy Survivors know transitions are trying.

*Not available online. If interested, email me and I'll send you a copy.