I had my mastectomy awhile ago..
why don’t I feel normal yet??
The Truth About Life After Cancer Treatment: It’s Not Over When It’s Over
"I just need to get through treatment."
"Once the surgery is over, I can get back to normal."
Sound familiar? Before going through cancer treatment, many people think that once the treatment is done, they'll feel better and everything will go back to normal.
Unfortunately, that's not usually the case. Immediately after surgery, recovery often looks similar for most—drains, soreness, limited shoulder movement, difficulty breathing, and low energy. As the weeks pass, the soreness improves, drains are removed, and breathing and energy start to return… gradually. The expectation is that everything will keep improving-but then more treatments often follow shortly after surgery.
The Compounding Effects of Ongoing Treatment
Radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone treatments all contribute additional challenges to recovery. Radiation can irritate the skin and toughen the tissue around the mastectomy site-limiting shoulder mobility and chest expansion. Chemotherapy drugs often bring fatigue, muscle aches, and joint pain-making movement harder. Hormone treatments can also cause muscle and joint pain-adding to the difficulty of getting back to daily life. But once those treatments are finished, you'll be OK, right?
The Hard Truth: Recovery Doesn’t End After Treatment
Here’s the reality—most people aren’t "OK" when treatment ends. The body that is left is no longer the same. The ways you used to recover from sickness or take care of yourself no longer apply. The skin feels tight, muscles are weak and fatigued, and balance can be off. Even figuring out how to care for yourself feels overwhelming.
Recovery from months of treatment following major surgery is incredibly challenging. The side effects from medication and radiation make it difficult to reintroduce movement and exercise at a normal pace. No one is told that this is the experience for the majority of cancer survivors. Most survivors don’t just “bounce back” to their previous life without struggle, pain, support, and adjustments.
A Silent Struggle: Feeling "Grateful" and "Over It"
After treatment, there’s this unspoken expectation that you should feel thankful for what you still have—and it’s OK if you don’t return to everything you once loved. For many cancer survivors, there’s an unspoken pressure to feel “better enough” and keep quiet about the ongoing challenges. Survivors often feel that people around them don't want to hear anymore about how you still feel tired, weak, and disoriented in your own body- much less hear about being scared about what comes next. Due to these feelings many survivors don't seek out the specialized exercises, education, and support that can help them move forward.
The Truth: Support is Necessary, and It’s Normal
What we need to hear more of is that it’s NORMAL to need support long after cancer treatment ends. Regaining mobility, muscle strength, balance, and energy doesn’t happen overnight or easily. It requires a gradual, progressive approach to exercise and self-care. It also means managing the efficiency of the lymphatic system and understanding that recovery will have its ups and downs, especially as medication side effects come and go. The statistics are stark—90% of breast cancer survivors continue to experience at least one limiting dysfunction six months after treatment-Yet very few receive the help they need to truly heal.
The Bottom Line
If you’re struggling to feel “back to normal” after cancer treatment, you’re not alone. It’s not just about pushing through or waiting for everything to get better on its own. With the right support, you can gradually rebuild your strength, improve your balance, and regain a higher level of energy. Seeking help isn’t just OK—it’s essential for long-term recovery.
Please feel free to reach out, 510-883-3534, if you have any questions or need further information about the therapy options available. Your health and well-being are of utmost importance, and support is available to help you manage the challenges after breast cancer treatment.