Caring for Patients With Cancer Beyond Remission

Sue McCarthy received diagnoses of breast cancer in 2001 and lung cancer in 2018. Catch up on all of Sue's blogs here!

As I paged through the Spring print issue of CURE magazine, an article caught my attention so much that I read it immediately and decided I would have to respond to it. The story, “With Cancer in Remission, What is the New Normal for Patients?” fascinated and pleased me. The title of the piece speaks for itself, and it spoke loudly and clearly to me! If only a program, such as one of the two described in the story, had existed in my city when I entered remission from stage 3B lung cancer five and a half years ago.

In his column for CURE magazine, Alex Briese explained the physical and emotional, nutrition, and exercise needs that cancer patients typically have as they enter remission. In retrospect, I had the same physical, mental, and wellness issues as those described in the article. Yet, I was eager to get back to work, back to my normal routines. I was thankful to be cancer-free (at least temporarily) and just plain tired of being sick. So, I didn’t take it easy. I encouraged myself to do as much as I possibly could, for as long as was possible.

As I think back to June 2018, I remember surgeries to remove tumors from each of my lungs, Cisplatin chemotherapy, radiation, and Durvalunab immunotherapy. My oncologist was an amazing cheerleader, encouraging me to move rapidly through all of my treatment. At times, I wanted to delay doctor appointments, but with a 30% chance of survival looking me in the eye, I felt the need to push on. My body, mind, soul, and spirit were totally exhausted. I never thought I had a choice but to fight! Fight! Dr. G drove me, and I nudged myself along as fast as I could.

I left the infusion area of the cancer treatment facility on my last day of Durvalunab immunotherapy with the intent of celebrating with a small party for my closest friends and family, then resuming life, picking up where Stage 3B Lung Cancer had so rudely interrupted.

However, my plan didn’t go as expected. As time went by, I found myself continually sad, maybe depressed. Sometimes I was unable to accomplish even some of the most basic tasks. First, I neglected my physical health needs; I ate poorly and made little attempt to sleep sufficiently; then anxious sensations led to severe anxiety.

I definitely needed to see the eye doctor; my eyes were my most troublesome medical issue and were getting worse. I made two appointments, and soon after scheduling, I canceled each of them. In a very similar manner, I twice told the therapist whom I started to work with during my cancer journey that I no longer needed her help. I needed her more than ever!

In July, I went for my routine CT scan, and the scheduled appointment with my oncologist was the following week. Dr. G said everything was fine. I was cancer-free. But I knew something was not right, so I had scheduled an appointment with my PCP immediately after I met with Dr. G. As I walked into the doctor’s office, I was so anxious that I was shaking, and when my doctor of twenty years entered the examination room, the shaking only got worse.

Dr. C offered me a sedative, and I said, “I don’t need it. I won’t use it.”

The doctor looked at my husband and said, “How long has she been like this?”

Dan said, “For about six months,” which may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but nonetheless, I had made a lot of mistakes in attempting to move on immediately after life-threatening lung cancer. Dr. C went on to examine me and to try to gently encourage me to consider the sedative. But hearing the first few words exchanged between Dan and Dr. C was what I really needed to start actively pursuing wellness. I made an appointment with my eye doctor, and this time, I was there and on time. I resumed meeting weekly with my therapist for the first few months, before meeting just biweekly.

My appointment with Dr. C was in July, and my daughter had asked me to plan her outdoor bridal shower for early September. It wasn’t easy for me, but I managed to do it, and I felt reasonably comfortable at the event. My daughter’s wedding was on the beach on Florida’s west coast, and by then, I felt good. For the first time, I enjoyed life in remission!

Might my immediate post-lung cancer experience have been different?

I’m so pleased that the new normal is headed that way. It meant so much to me to read “With Cancer in Remission, What Is the New Normal?” and to learn of the opportunities available to present-day and future cancer patients to recover from all the elements of cancer.

I hope most cancer patients will be in the position to receive survivorship care and that they will benefit from it as they move forward with their lives. Mostly, I hope these programs will reduce the likelihood of other patients suffering as I did.

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