Helen, 53, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in March 2019. After six rounds of chemotherapy, she entered remission. After her treatment, Helen faced a new normal. 

“I did try to make out that everything was fine, but really it wasn’t. I was so anxious.”

For many people who’ve gone through cancer treatment, anxiousness and loneliness can be tough emotions to face. Describing this aspect of her own post-treatment journey, Helen added:

“I couldn’t sleep. I felt like I was waiting for the cancer to come back every day. I felt lonely, because people didn’t understand.”

At Cancer Support UK, we understand that when an individuals cancer treatment has finished, and family and friends expect them to feel ‘back to normal’, this can be when they feel worst of all. We encourage anyone who is struggling with life after cancer, to join one of our Cancer Coach telephone groups.

Cancer Coach is a telephone support group that runs weekly for 6 weeks. The service is free of charge and delivered by telephone. Helen took part in a group, which significantly improved her emotional outlook. Reflecting on this, she said:

“At first I was a bit apprehensive, but I decided to go for it. There were six other people in the group, from all over the country. We’d all had different cancers. It was easy. It really helped me, and I really hope it’ll help others too.”

Cancer Coach is for anyone over the age of 18 who has completed treatment for cancer, regardless of whether they finished treatment a few months ago or a few years ago. To participate in a Cancer Coach telephone group, sign up here.