Hi All,

I am new to the list but feel I have something to add as a Survivor.

I read in a book about cancer during my treatment in 2002/2003 that hit home and can sum up this situation. As cancer patients, there is an enormous amount of treatment information to digest in a short amount of time. We have to rely on our doctors and nurses so much to tell us the next step. Even if it is come in tomorrow for X appointment. The treatment wears the patient down so baddly that this becomes the security blanket. When that treatment is over, especially with radiation, there are no more doctors or nurses to tell us what to do any more.

The book went on to say that each person reacts differently post treatment obviously because the treatments affect each patient differently.

Caregivers can not fill the role the doctors and nurse fulfilled during treatment. However, it does not mean a caregiver should give up.

What worked for me was talking to other people through my ENT as a sort of therapy.

Hope this helps shed some light on what a survior goes through post treatment.

Jim