It is important during recovery after cervical cancer

If you are diagnosed with cervical cancer, you can immediately undergo cervical cancer treatment. After that, it is important for you to prevent the possibility of cancer recurrence, in order to avoid various possible complications of cervical cancer. What can be done during the recovery process after cervical cancer? Check out the following explanation.

How long is the recovery process after cervical cancer treatment?

Cervical cancer may make changes to your life. Even though you have undergone treatment, either with medical procedures, the use of medical drugs for cervical cancer, or natural cervical cancer treatment, you still have to undergo recovery after cervical cancer.

The time it takes for each patient to undergo the healing process is not the same. This depends on the type of cervical cancer treatment you are undergoing, whether it is hysterectomy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.

There are various kinds of cervical cancer treatment with hysterectomy. The type of uterine removal surgery taken will affect the healing process after your cervical cancer. However, it will take you about 6-12 weeks.

Tips during the recovery process after cervical cancer

According to Cancer Council Victoria, feelings of fear that cervical cancer will return, frustration, worry about the recovery process after treatment, and various other uncertain feelings are normal.

However, it does not mean that as a person who has been successful through treatment, you can surrender to the situation. Therefore, there are some tips that you can live by to stay healthy and avoid things that could potentially cause cervical cancer to come again.

1. Get enough rest

After undergoing treatment, you certainly want to be completely cured of cervical cancer. Therefore, it is important for you to get adequate rest during the recovery process after cervical cancer treatment. Supposing, the body has worked hard enough for cervical cancer treatment.

After the treatment is complete, the body needs time to return to gradually recover to normal. That is why you are advised to rest so that the recovery process after cervical cancer runs faster, especially if you are after chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

The doctor will usually ask family members to relieve you from homework that might be exhausting. The goal is for the recovery process after cervical cancer to run effectively.

In fact, the doctor may also ask you to take a break from various activities during the recovery process after cervical cancer, such as work. That way, you can focus on resting while undergoing the healing process.

2. Avoid sexual intercourse for a while

Actually, having sex after cervical cancer treatment is safe and okay. It's just that you can't immediately do this intimate activity as soon as cervical cancer treatment is complete.

This means that during the recovery period after cervical cancer, you will not be able to have sexual intercourse for a while. Generally, it will take approximately 6 weeks for you to resume sexual intercourse with your partner.

However, you should avoid having sex for less than 4 weeks after cervical cancer treatment is complete. This could put you at risk for infection.

In addition, there are also other rules that you need to know when you have sex after cervical cancer treatment, especially chemotherapy, namely that your partner should use a condom.

Although it is not certain whether sex can affect men or not, it is feared that chemotherapy can be released through vaginal fluids or sperm.

This condition must be faced together with a partner. So, try to always be open with your partner. Then, during the recovery process after cervical cancer, try to pay attention to your recovery first.

Not only that, you can also "innovate" in order to maintain intimacy with your partner without having sex. Discuss with your partner how to deal with the situation, so that you don't have to worry too much while facing the recovery process after cervical cancer.

3. Avoid lifting heavy weights

During the recovery period after cervical cancer, there will be some restrictions for patients that should be avoided. One of them is lifting heavy weights. You may even be prohibited from lifting heavy shopping bags, carrying children, lifting gallons, and other heavy objects.

During the recovery period after cervical cancer, you may also be asked not to drive for 3-8 weeks after receiving treatment, especially if you had a hysterectomy.

There are several types of hysterectomy, and it usually takes about 8-12 weeks for you to completely recover after having had a radical hysterectomy.

4. Maintain ideal body weight

During the healing or recovery period after cervical cancer, you are advised to maintain your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is not only important for overall health, but also good for reducing the risk of cervical cancer recurrence.

Unfortunately, some cervical cancer treatments are considered to have an effect on your weight and waist size. In fact, weight gain tends to be more difficult to lose after cervical cancer treatment. This condition is usually caused by a tired, unfit body, or other things that you are dealing with.

Regardless of your weight gain or loss, it's important to get your weight back to normal. To make it easier, you can assess your weight category using the body mass index (BMI) calculator from Hello Sehat.

If cervical cancer treatment affects your ability to eat, causing you to lose weight, try to find ways that can help you eat well.

For example, choose healthy foods but still pay attention to nutrition. Alternatively, you may also need to change your daily eating habits. You can start trying to eat smaller portions but in frequent frequency every day.

5. Apply a balanced diet

After going through the process of cervical cancer treatment, in the recovery period after this treatment, you are also advised to eat more food sources of fiber, from vegetables and fruits.

Try to eat healthy foods for cervical cancer sufferers, for example, fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Antioxidants can help destroy cancer-causing agents and cancer cells themselves.

In fact, avoid various dietary restrictions for cervical cancer sufferers, such as red meat and processed meats. If you want to eat it, eat a limited portion. Avoid red meat that contains fat, and choose meats that are rich in zinc, iron, protein and vitamin B12.

6. Do sports that are suitable for your condition

You may think that during the recovery process after cervical cancer, exercise is an activity to abstain from patients. In fact, it's okay to do sports as long as it is still in accordance with health conditions.

Even so, you may still not be treated to strenuous exercise. Some types of exercise that are recommended for cervical cancer patients include walking, stretching, deep breathing, and several other types of exercise.

Before exercising during the recovery period for cervical cancer, it is also a good idea to consult with a doctor first. He will help you determine the type of exercise that best suits your health condition.

7. Receive follow-up care

Even though you have finished treatment, it does not mean that you have stopped doing follow-up care orcheck-upto the doctor. In fact, you still have to go through the routine of visiting the doctor to make sure that your condition is really okay after undergoing treatment.

The role of the couple is quite important in this period, especially for married women. The reason is, a woman who is recovering from cervical cancer may have her own rigidity to do an examination with a doctor.

Therefore, husbands or partners should always accompany their wives during routine examinations to the doctor. Apart from being a part ofsupport systemHusbands also need to listen to how doctors explain their wife's condition.

In the process of recovering from cervical cancer, you may still have to undergo regular pap smears. It is important to continue to ensure that your body condition is truly healthy and free from cervical cancer.

In addition, almost all cancer treatments can have side effects, as well as cervical cancer treatments. Some can last for a short period of time, from weeks to months. Others can last up to the rest of your life.

Therefore, during the recovery process after cervical cancer,check-up is the time for you to tell your doctor about any changes or problems you have noticed and any questions or concerns you have.

This examination also allows the doctor to check for signs and symptoms of cancer that has come back or a new cancer.

Women who have had cervical cancer have a higher risk of developing vaginal cancer, and are also at risk for developing HPV-related cancer or, less commonly, cancer as a side effect of treatment.

Therefore, you need to be more sensitive to the condition of your body. If during the recovery process after treatment you feel symptoms of cervical cancer that come back, get your condition checked by a doctor.

8. Manage emotional changes as best you can

Compared to the recommended healing or recovery process after cervical cancer that has been previously mentioned, managing self-emotional changes is often ruled out. In fact, not infrequently, the cervical cancer treatment that you are undergoing can have an emotional impact on yourself.

As a result, you may often feel restless, depressed, which makes you grumpy and moody all day long. These emotional changes can be caused by feelings of sadness, pressure, and stress, a result of cervical cancer that you have experienced.

On the other hand, it may also be because you are overshadowed by fear and anxiety about what is to come. That is why not a few cervical cancer patients who, after undergoing treatment, feel that their life is different from when they had not been diagnosed with this disease.

These various causes may make you feel sad and anxious for no apparent reason. It will take time for you to really get back to managing your own emotions and feelings.

But in this case, don't hesitate to ask for help from the closest people such as family, friends, and other cervical cancer patients. The goal is to provide support, encourage, and at the same time help you feel better.

If necessary, you can consult further with your doctor to get counseling with experts regarding the condition you are experiencing.