The thing that many women have in common after breast cancer treatment is a sense that they don't feel the same as they did before breast cancer. The effects of surgical and medical treatment may continue for some time. Routine follow-up appointments usually continue for up to five years after diagnosis and treatment. Having learned about common concerns and knowing the physical changes that your body has been through, it is unlikely that you will feel the same as you did before your breast cancer diagnosis. You can feel healthy again: It's just going to take much longer than you might anticipate, usually six months to a year after treatment. You may have lost one or both of your breasts; you may have had lymph node surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or both. You may have had breast reconstructive surgery and your body image has changed during your breast cancer treatment plan. Your definition of feeling healthy most likely has changed after undergoing breast cancer treatment. With all this in mind it is normal to not feel your old self.

After breast cancer treatment you may experience your hair growing back and your body may be thrust into early menopause at an accelerated rate as a result of chemotherapy. These contributing factors change your definition of what is “normal” for you. Two of the common aftereffects of breast cancer treatment are difficulty with focus and memory “chemobrain,” and fatigue that seems to linger long after your last chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

The learned coping strategies that you developed during breast cancer treatment can help you cope with those after-cancer changes that stick around perhaps for a lifetime. The fear of recurrence that lingers on long after breast cancer treatment as well as becoming menopausal as a result of chemotherapy requires acceptance and adaptation. Managing your expectations can help to decrease the stress associated with these changes.