The new normal

December 27th 2013 will be upon us sooner than one thinks. Time flies as you get older. So chemo 11 and 12 will happen in no time and with it the adrenaline rush that kept me going will peter out unless I find another mission to keep me going. I know that without a zealous mission the meltdown may just happen. So time to figure out what next. To think that things will resolve themselves once chemo 12 is over is naive and absurd. On December 27th Ranjan will begin recovering from his chemo and his counts will drop dramatically. This time there will be no booster shots, or so I think. This time his shattered body will have to pick up its pieces and try and build itself, slowly and patiently, hoping that no cracks remain.

I love this picture as it describes so well the state R will be in post 27-12-13. He will have to pick himself up and carry on, no matter what. It will be no easy task, with no defined time line. The totally misplaced idea that life will be normal again, just as it once was is a chimera. I guess we all held on to it to steer us through the difficult times when chemotherapy was on, but now it is time to face the reality that awaits us and break it gently to Ranjan. Life will never be normal as we knew it. We will have to build a new normal.

So what will this new normal look like. For one, for months to come, Ranjan will have to be kept away from any source of infection which sadly translates into limited mobility: no beers in crowded club pubs, no parties, no meals in crowded restaurants and so on. Doctors never tell you that life will be different after cancer treatment. On the contrary they fool you by telling you that all will be well. How can I forget the surgeon who told me that papa would be good as new after his surgery for colon cancer. He did not survive, but if he had, I shudder to think how he would carried on a normal life with his colostomy pouch.

In Ranjan's case, his oncologist continues to 'fool' us, by making it sound like all will be well after the 12th chemo. And somehow we have been lulled into believing it. But that is not the case. Chemotherapy keeps you from jumping into life again. It is not as if you got off the spinning wheel of life for a few months and can jump on again and hope all will be the same. In the US you now have cancer rehab that helps survivors overcome the new normal. We do not have these programmes here so I will have to conjure one for Ranjan.

It is believed that cancer survivors can face myriad ailments: pain, fatigue, weakness, immobility, cognitive impairment, sleep difficulties, sexual dysfunction, anxiety and depression. That is a whole lot to deal with. I guess one has to wait and see what happens and address each situation as it occurs in the best way possible.

Cancer treatment is not kind to the body and taking care of the body is what will be first and foremost on the agenda. The body has gone through hell and will now have to be molly coddled for all times to come. The new normal has to combine good diet with exercise on a daily basis. The weight has to be kept stable and thus physical activity is essential even if one is tired. The new normal is not easy and takes courage and determination.

The immunity has to to be built slowly. Blood counts will have to be done on a regular basis. The progress may be slow and frustrating, but one will have to keep the faith all the way. Not easy.