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In 2023, I went through treatment for breast cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy changed my life, and I’m still working out what life afterwards looks like.
I had a lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I’m still taking tamoxifen, and I’m still dealing with some of the physical effects of treatment.
That’s the short version. Living through it—and working out how to live afterwards—is rather more complicated.
I’m starting this blog because the experience didn’t end when chemotherapy and radiotherapy finished. There has been recovery, adjustment, frustration and a lot of figuring things out since then. I wanted somewhere to talk about that honestly, alongside the things I’m doing to move my life forward.
This is where I’m starting.
Treatment finished. Recovery carried on.
The effects of cancer and its treatment are still part of my everyday life.
Hot flushes, aching joints and brain fog have all featured. I have lymphoedema to manage, and physical difficulties that affect how comfortably I can get around and what I can do.
Some things have improved, which makes a real difference. But wanting to get on with life and feeling physically ready for it don’t always arrive together.
My brain can happily plan a busy day while my body has serious reservations.
That gap is frustrating. I want to feel capable and independent. I want to get outdoors, learn things, make things and enjoy myself without having to give quite so much thought to how I’ll feel afterwards.
I’m still learning what I can manage, what helps and when I need to give myself a bit of breathing room.
Working out what comes next
There’s an emotional adjustment alongside the physical one.
Cancer has given me plenty of reason to think about how I want to spend my time. But thinking about a different future is easier than making it happen when your health, money and responsibilities all have a say.
I still have bills to pay, a home to look after and two spaniels who haven’t agreed to suspend their requirements while I sort myself out.
Any changes have to work within that life.
I’m trying to build something that gives me purpose, interest and more freedom, while being realistic about what I can sustain. I haven’t got a finished plan. I have ideas, things I’m trying and a growing understanding of what matters to me.
My curiosity is doing quite well
One thing that’s very much still with me is my appetite for learning.
At 47, I’ve started a university degree in finance, investment and banking. I’m also learning floristry and welding, which gives you some idea of how widely my interests wander.
I’m also exploring ways to create an income that could fit around my health and give me more choices in the future. If you like gathering ideas on paper, Oxford Campus pastel A4 lined notebooks (Ad) are one option for keeping those notes together.
Written down, that sounds like rather a lot.
It is rather a lot.
I’ve always liked following an interesting question to see where it leads. Having something absorbing to think about matters to me. So does the satisfaction of making something, understanding something new or seeing an idea become real.
Enthusiasm, unfortunately, doesn’t automatically provide the energy to carry it all out. I’m still practising how to pace myself.
Why I’m writing about it
I wanted a space for the everyday reality of life after cancer: the ongoing symptoms, the frustrations, the small improvements and the adjustments that don’t necessarily make an exciting story but still shape your day.
I also want to write about the rest of my life.
The learning. The creative projects. Getting outdoors. Finding things that help me feel more like myself. The occasional rabbit hole that starts with a simple question and somehow becomes an entire evening.
Those things belong here alongside the difficult bits.
I’m writing as someone living through this, still trying things and learning as I go. Anything I share about my health will be my own experience, rather than a promise that the same thing will work for someone else.
There will probably be unfinished ideas and changes of direction. There will certainly be humour, because I can’t imagine getting through all of this without some.
Starting from here
I want to get my body and health back on track. I want to keep learning and build a life I enjoy, with room for the things that interest me.
Some days, that feels quite achievable. Other days, it takes more patience than I’d like.
This blog begins in the middle of that process. I haven’t reached a point where everything makes sense and I can neatly explain how I got there. I’m sharing it while it’s happening.
If you’re finding your own feet after cancer, or supporting someone who is, I hope you’ll find something familiar here.
For now, I’m starting with a cuppa, a head full of ideas and a body whose cooperation varies.
Welcome to Life After Cancer. This is where I’ll share how it’s going.
I’m sharing my own experience. This blog is not medical advice.