I think many are guilty of thinking that someone who has been declared cancer free should be able to just return to their normal lives as if nothing had happened. But that is just not the case. Most cancer survivors spend the rest of their lives with the fear and anxiety of regular follow up scans and the constant fear of cancer returning. The trauma of fighting this battle, from the shock of diagnosis through the hell of treatment and surgery, and then follow up treatments and scans, doesn't just fade away. Many come out of it with a form of PTSD that makes it almost impossible to just pick up their lives where they were before cancer. Try to be patient and understanding with your friends and family who have been through the hell of cancer. They may not just "get over it." They might not even realize that they are different now, and it won't help them for you to point that out. Just love them...shower them with love and understanding. Love can help heal the unseen scars of cancer. Just love them, let them know you are there for them, and be patient.
These are my thoughts after reading a blog from the "I Had Cancer" page. It's a good read:
