Society values those who can assimilate quickly, who can bounce back from tragedy without skipping a beat. The message survivors receive from all sides is, "You're so lucky to be alive. Now get on with your life."
That's great in theory, but the reality is that once cancer has touched your life, nothing will ever be the same. Relationships are tested, employment issues surface and priorities are re-evaluated. Perhaps the most important factor is that a survivor has faced mortality and emerged transformed, keenly aware of how fragile life is.
Survivors and those close to them must acknowledge all that has happened. Only then can they move forward. Only then can they derive meaning from their experience. This is the challenge facing all survivors.
The obstacles you may encounter when you finish treatment are totally unexpected but can be overcome. Denying that you have changed or that you feel differently about every aspect of your life will only delay the recovery process. It's important to stay in touch with your feelings and to ask yourself some hard questions.
You probably won't be able to answer these questions right away, but asking them is a good place to start your new life as a survivor.
