Living with Cancer: Beyond the Diagnosis

A cancer diagnosis can be bad news, but nowadays, it's not necessarily a death sentence. With modern medicine constantly advancing, cancer survival rates continue to improve. That being said, there are certain truths that emerge from a cancer diagnosis, from the physical to the financial.

The Treatments can take their Toll

It's almost a cliché at this point, but they say that the treatment of cancer can almost be as bad as the cancer itself. That's because certain treatments can be painful and traumatic in their own right. Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, sores, pain, and fatigue are all possible side effects to chemotherapy, for instance. These side effects can be intense and can actually scare off some patients. Though this treatment is a mountain to climb, chemotherapy still remains one of the most effective methods of treating a wide variety of cancers.  

The Procedures can be Expensive

Cancer treatments are pretty advanced and, if surgery is required, can be pretty invasive. On top of this, they may span months or even years, while the patient continues to rack up debt. Before long, surviving the bills is almost as difficult as surviving the diagnosis and treatment. 

Affording care is not a hopeless endeavor, however. Financial help for cancer patients is available in several forms. Charity and non-profit organizations are there to help certain causes. If that's not an option, there are opportunities for people with life-threatening illnesses to sell off their life insurance policies for lump sums. 

Remission is Not Necessarily the End

While "remission" is a word that every cancer patient hopes to hear (and sooner rather than later), it doesn't necessarily mean that they're completely out of the woods. Remission simply means that the cancer symptoms have ceased. Doctors are usually hesitant to label cancer "cured," as it's nearly impossible to predict whether the disease will return. But with each passing year that a person stays in remission, there is hope -- as it continues, the chance of relapse decreases. The key to cancer survival after a remission diagnosis is regular checkups to monitor progress. 

A cancer diagnosis is the first step in a long journey. For those about to embark on it, it's best to familiarize themselves with what lies ahead so that they are prepared mentally, physically, and financially.