Recovered from Cancer? This Page Is for You!

The "Shahar Center for Empowerment and Support" program is a unique initiative that enables cancer survivors to start their lives anew, discuss all their concerns and fears, and gain essential tools for the road ahead. I have the privilege and honor of leading the "An Hour of Healthy Thinking" workshop at Shahar and giving a lecture on "Nutrition for Recovery." These activities grew naturally from my work providing nutritional support to people with cancer, doctors, nurses, and families. Over the years, I identified the most difficult areas to cope with and looked for ways to help.

Why is cancer survivorship receiving more attention than ever?

Until about two decades ago, a cancer diagnosis meant a death sentence. In recent years, several changes have taken place in cancer care:

• Diagnosis happens earlier, thanks to screening tests added to Israel's publicly funded health services basket. For example, fecal occult blood testing for everyone over 50 increases the chance of early colon cancer diagnosis. Mammography enables early diagnosis of breast cancer, and so on. Early diagnosis of these diseases allows effective treatment that can lead to complete recovery.
• There have been tremendous advances in anticancer treatment: chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapies, and combinations of these.
• Supportive care helps patients cope with symptoms and side effects, allowing some cancers to be described today as chronic diseases. These include colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lymphomas, and others.

In other words, the population of cancer survivors is growing worldwide.

What characterizes life after recovery from cancer?

Although it may seem that "life is sweet," this stage brings quite a few difficulties:

• First, the oncologist, who served as the patient's "mother and father" for a time, is suddenly no longer the person to turn to with new questions. The oncologist knows how to treat the tumor, but often does not know what to do about problems arising afterward. This creates loneliness and a feeling of disconnection from the place that had provided answers and clear guidance.
• The family doctor is also at a loss. They know how to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and hemorrhoids, but do not know what to do about the long-term side effects the patient carries after treatment ends. Again, there are no answers to fertility problems, impotence, body image issues, and relationship difficulties that emerge after the "battle against cancer" has ended and it is time to live a healthy life.
• There is a lack of knowledge about all the essential social benefits and entitlements available to the patient that may not have been used.

What questions come up in meetings with survivors?

• First, coping with long-term side effects of treatment. For example, Adriamycin, given to many breast cancer patients, can damage heart function long after treatment ends. Another example is platinum-based drugs or Taxol, which cause tingling in the extremities.
• Body image problems can arise in women who have undergone a mastectomy and men who have had prostate or bladder cancer.
• From there, relationship problems are not far away: sexual intercourse is affected by pelvic radiation, gynecological cancer surgery, and extensive bowel surgery.
• Dealing with the workplace: the survivor returns to work but is still not as fit as before and cannot deliver a full workload. How does this affect the employee-employer relationship and their own sense of worth? What rights does the survivor have in relation to their employer?
• What is the chance of the disease returning? What can be done to reduce that risk? What should you eat? What should you avoid?
• Should you exercise? What kind of exercise? What can you do about fatigue? Which supplements should you take? Is taking vitamins even allowed?

What do you do with all these questions? Who will help you make sense of the confusion?

The truth is that responsibility for managing your health is in your hands!

Completely free, the health map will help you start changing the areas where you struggle on your own: changing your diet, exercising, drinking more water, and so on.

At the same time, I am a clinical dietitian, after all. How could I not talk to you about nutrition?!

This is general news information and is not a substitute for personal advice from a doctor or dietitian.