Beginning to recover after thyroid cancer

Some people experience treatment side effects| that gradually improve over time, while others may have ongoing side effects.

You may have a range of other effects such as trouble sleeping, or feeling weaker and more tired than usual, rather than specific treatment side effects. Living a healthy lifestyle can help your body recover more quickly and return to normal. It will also help to reduce the risk of other illnesses, such as heart disease and strokes.

Lifestyle – positive choices, helping yourself

Some people want to make changes to their lifestyle after cancer. You can choose to make just a few changes or completely change the way you live.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be very difficult or expensive. You may think that you’ll be denying yourself all of the pleasures in life and that it will be a lot of hard work. However, it’s about making small, achievable changes to the way you live that will improve your health and wellbeing.

Your healthy lifestyle will be individual to you, and what is right for you may not be right for someone else. A healthy lifestyle can include having a well-balanced diet, getting some exercise, reducing stress, and being involved in your healthcare. You’ll need to consider any side effects of treatment when planning changes to your diet and exercise. Don’t try to do too much too soon.

A well-balanced diet should include:

• plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (at least five portions a day)
• foods high in fibre, such as beans and cereals
• plenty of water or other non-alcoholic fluids.

You should also try to reduce your intake of:

• red meat and animal fats
• alcohol
• salted, pickled and smoked foods.

Before making major changes to your diet it’s a good idea to discuss your plans with your GP or specialist. 

You should also stop smoking. This has many health benefits and reduces your risk of other diseases such as heart disease and stroke.

Exercise doesn’t have to be particularly strenuous. You can start gently and build-up the amount of physical activity you do. Whatever your age or physical health there will be some kind of exercise you could try, such as walking, hiking, cycling or swimming. Activities like gardening, dancing and playing sport are also good to try.

There are lots of ways to reduce the stress in your life. You could make time to do things that you enjoy, or that make you laugh. Some people find it relaxing to meditate or to pray, or to start a new pastime or an evening class. You may find it helpful to write a journal or online blog.

Being involved in your healthcare means taking your medicines as prescribed, always going for follow-up appointments and being aware of symptoms of a possible recurrence of the cancer.

If you’re thinking about making major changes to your lifestyle it can be a good idea to discuss your plans with your GP or specialist nurse. We have separate sections on giving up smoking|, exercise| and eating well| after cancer treatment, which you may find helpful.