These are ALL COMMON long or late occurring side effects of cancer treatment for survivors and family members. Depression, anxiety, fear of recurrence, difficulty returning to work, and post-traumatic stress.

This was part of a New England Journal of Medicine article entitled Cancer Survivorship published just four years ago, December 2018. All five of these psychosocial areas were listed as common across all types of cancer. If it is common to have nausea with chemo and you prescribe anti-nausea meds before it even happens, why do we not send all patients for a consult, or three, with a psychologist who works with cancer survivors and their families before there is a crisis?

Most of us were never screened for depression or talked to about these potential mental and emotional wellbeing challenges during treatment. Sometimes just calling attention to the fact that things can happen and are normal can help someone recognize the signs and enable them to get help. When we don’t know it is a risk, we may not recognize that we need help. What is worse, people who have never been through it tell you to be happy you are alive, which isn’t at all the point and is the opposite of helpful. Remember it is ok to not be ok. If you are avoiding things you like or feel not ok more than ok, ask for help. Sometimes just saying it out loud to another person can be healing. These feelings are real, and they are ok. Have you experienced any of these?

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