After Cancer Essay -- Long Term Effects Medicine Medical Papers

After Cancer Twice a day, an email full of support, encouragement, and information arrives in the inboxes of the 370 members of the Long-term Cancer Survivors mailing list. The topic of discussion is often the â€Å"late effects† of cancer treatment. One member’s recent posting is titled â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Why, after being in remission for years, am I so angry and depressed that my personal relationships are falling apart?† the cancer survivor asked. The answer is the psychosocial late effects of cancer treatment. Late effects of cancer treatment appear long after the catheter is removed, weekly blood draws cease, and the wigs are tucked away in the back of a closet. A cancer survivor may leave weekly trips to the cancer clinic behind, but late effects can linger for years afterwards. Kathy Steindorf, 43, of Wisconsin, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease at 38. Four years after entering remission, she began having nightmares that jolted her from sleep to sheet-soaking sweats. â€Å"I woke up from the nightmares with a cold fear,† she said. â€Å"I came to a point where I didn’t want to die, but just wanted to be dead.† Jan O’Daniell, 45, of Texas, hid in her church’s bathroom during mass after being diagnosed with cancer for the second time. â€Å"I didn’t want anyone to know how upset I was,† O’Daniell said. â€Å"I didn’t think I was allowed to be depressed.† Joy T.*, 28, of Illinois, dropped out of high school three years after completing cancer treatment. â€Å"I was so bitter and cynical,† Joy T. said. â€Å"I thought there was no point of going to school if I could just die tomorrow.† Steindorf, O’Daniell, and Joy T. didn’t realize their psychological distress was related to their cancer experience — they had survived, after a... ... â€Å"The first session she asked, ‘This is the first time you’re coming to therapy?’† Joy T. said. â€Å"She told me [my anxiety] was totally normal — I got to talk about a lot of things.† Several years after she dropped out of high school, Joy T. earned her GED. She recently completed her bachelor’s degree in science and healthcare leadership. Steindorf opted not to see a therapist — instead she takes an anti-depressant and leans on her family for support. â€Å"I’m very involved in church and my support circle is awesome,† Steindorf said. Steindorf is thankful that her doctor recognized that she was experiencing psychosocial late effects, but believes other cancer survivors and their doctors don’t pinpoint the problem soon enough. â€Å"Survivors have to know about this — how sad is it if a survivor leads a miserable life after surviving cancer,† Steindorf said.