Survivorship

CURE® asked its readers to share their difficulties eating after cancer, and what they did to help combat those challenges.

After reaching the point where anxiety was completely overwhelming my system before getting routine cancer scans, I decided to try a new approach suggested by my therapist to ease my worries.

After realizing that alcohol and spicy foods were excruciating to consume after treatment, throat cancer survivor Rob Paulsen learned that smoothies were a much healthier — and more soothing — option.

As I sit here watching the Winter Olympics, I am immediately reminded of all the ways in which my grueling and stressful journey with cancer feels akin to the struggles of these Olympic athletes.

“Coping for me has been routine-based, and that is making sure I do the things that are in my day that are really foundationally making me feel joyful,” says a survivor of an advanced-stage cancer on how to cope with “scanxiety.”

A pancreatic cancer survivor explains why hearing the news that someone else has cancer makes it difficult for him to engage in the conversation, as it reminds him of his experience.

A cancer survivor explains how he has learned to build resilience against the stress and terror around getting routine cancer scans done so that he can live his life more freely.

A colon cancer survivor expresses her frustration about the way the health care system is currently being managed as yet another wave of COVID-19 cases caused her to cancel an appointment she’d waited three months for.

From mental impacts such as “scanxiety” and post-traumatic stress disorder to difficulties returning to work/dating and long-term physical side effects like memory issues, several cancer survivors shared the hardest part about survivorship.

A woman living with metastatic breast cancer describes how the death of a friend’s grandmother reminded her of her own grandmother’s passing and the lessons she learned about life from it that she applies in her cancer journey.

A patient with stage 4 ovarian cancer still receiving treatment six years after her first diagnosis explains that even though she’s exhausted from all her treatments and the related side effects, she knows many others don’t survive as long as she has.

When trying to relate to a cancer survivor, do not tell them how someone else died of the disease, writes Michelle Velez.

A cancer survivor offers advice for those facing anxiety and fear about cancer that takes control of their life.

A cancer survivor expresses the fears many survivors face with another year of staring down the COVID-19 pandemic.

An infectious disease expert explains the new and upcoming treatment modalities that are improving COVID-19 outcomes for patients with cancer and other conditions that compromise the immune system.

One cancer survivor describes the impact of the words of support from other patients with cancer throughout his experience that helped pull him out of devastation.

After not knowing quite what to expect from her first chemotherapy treatment, colorectal cancer survivor Yla Flores describes the pain she felt in her heart after seeing other patients in worse conditions.

A cancer survivor explains how she was able to intimately reconnect with her spouse after cancer caused their love life to fizzle for many years.

A cancer survivor offers tips on dealing with the mental gymnastics of wondering whether his COVID-19 vaccine will work against the omicron variant and how more isolation will affect his mental state.

A cancer survivor explains her approach to New Year’s resolutions and how she plans to make her health a priority.

Cancer survivors may experience psychological side effects of cancer and can benefit from stress management interventions, although these in-person services are often limited.

A breast cancer survivor describes a project she participated in — the Dear Body Project — to thank her body for all that it has endured.

A pancreatic cancer survivor explains how he learned to live after cancer and reflects on lessons learned from the book, “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

A cancer survivor pens a poem about his New Year’s resolutions to help other survivors through obstacles in 2022.

A young adult cancer survivor describes the ways people typically misunderstand his cancer experiences.

A person with cancer may naturally assume an oncologist will follow them throughout the course of treatment, but when that person survives for many years, things can rapidly change.

A cancer survivor discusses the hurtful words people say to cancer survivors and why they sting.

Nobody wants to learn they have cancer. But sometimes, the disease teaches people to appreciate other aspects of life, one cancer survivor explains.