subject: Life After Breast Cancer [print this page] Breast cancer is a malignant growth originating from the breast tissues. It is diagnosed using self-examination or through mammograms, breast ultrasound or biopsy. These examinations are recommended for women above the age of thirty five. They should be done yearly or as advised by a doctor. The disease can be life threatening if not diagnosed in time and treatment started immediately. Treatment usually takes between six months and one year. Many survivors are able to live a full life after completing treatment. In addition, recurrences are not very common and only happen in some cases.
After successful treatment, one needs to adjust to life as a breast cancer survivor. Many changes occur in your life and body after treatment which one needs to learn to deal with. Your hair begins to grow back on your head together with eyebrows and eyelashes which you had lost due to treatment. You are also likely to suffer from bouts of memory loss and also lack of concentration. In addition, due to the battery of tests that you had to go through, your body is fatigued and will take a long time to recover. This means that, despite completing treatment, you will still not be able to go back to activities that you performed with ease before.
In cases where treatment has not resulted in infertility, then a woman can go ahead and have children. Biological motherhood is now not an elusive dream for breast cancer survivors as doctors are even encouraging survivors to have children. This is also time to re-enter the social scene. This is the time to meet more friends as you are likely to have lost some due to your illness. It is also time to re-acquaint with old friends. For single women, it is important as they will want to settle down and start families after facing mortality.
For breast cancer survivors, going back to work can be a very daunting task. This is because, you feel unable to cope with the demands of the workplace. However, maintaining good eating habits and a regular exercise regime is advised to help one cope. This will help in boosting your energy levels, improve your overall health and help you stay cancer free. This is also the period that women decide to cut down on their working hours in order to focus more on family. Being a survivor helps you put things in perspective.
Life After Breast Cancer
By: Peter Gitundu
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