Support needed from health professionals during treatment and beyond

I think the last point is one to remember @kmakm. Often the health services offered are either not able to be offered, in the same way, in every region or may not be accessible, for a whole range of reasons, at the time they would be most effective. I didn't have a breast care nurse. I had a brilliant senior oncology nurse. Her great strength was seeing the individual not just the patient. So when not able to articulate exactly what was bothering me, she could add two and two and gave excellent advice. What's 'normal' also varies immensely - in one sense, I never left normal and in another a lot of things changed, but largely for the better. I imagine a close encounter with any mortal illness, and unwanted changes to one's body, are very likely to initiate a whole lot of thinking that may not have occurred, or occupied much time, before. Emotional counselling would seem important as a basic tool, not only when things get desperate.