Not the best start to 2018
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Hi and welcome. Do you know what type of bc you have? 6 months on and it might be all done and dusted and have plenty of recovery time before your planned trip. It will be a double celebration then. I know I didn't feel I could make future plans during treatment as my head just couldn't do it. But it gets better. Kath x0
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Hi @JoB, welcome but sorry you've had to join us. Everything will be such a whirlwind and difficult to take in right now. That's normal. You're scared. That's normal too. As well, as overwhelmed, bewildered, pissed off, frightened and the rest. Definitely take someone to your appointments if you can, you'll only take in about a third (also normal).
My family is in NZ so yes it's hard without them around but doable. Whilst my mum was keen to come over I didn't want any 'off the plane germs' near me whilst having chemo as I'm a germophobe, OCD, nurse. ( yep, worst patient). You should get a breast care nurse and they are wonderful and have so much knowledge and compassion.
We are here for you. Xx0 -
@JoB Here are some useful tips for starting cancer treatment from oncologist Ranjana Srivastava who writes for The Guardian. Here's the link:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/12/five-things-to-remember-after-getting-the-dreaded-cancer-diagnosis?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other1 -
That's a very good article! The last one is worth remembering. We can get caught up in our own dilemmas but anyone who has seen the grateful look on a harried nurse's face when you assure her you're fine, not in a rush and can wait, will realise it does not take a lot to be nice, at least at times!1
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Have you read her other articles @Afraser? I love her writing in the Guardian. She wrote a great one recently about the potential causes of cancer.
It doesn’t take much to be nice. A radiographer the other day had to put a cannula in my arm twice as it didn’t go in right, which was upsetting for her and painful for me, but I was polite and it made it easier for both of us. I was thinking the other day, it’s much easier to focus on the negative things that happen, rather than all of the work that nurses and other health professionals put in that make things go smoothly. I’m a bit reflective today.0 -
Just had a read of that article too. Only problem is that that kind of sense and rationality doesn't necessarily get people to act. A colleague of mine drank heavily (I mean a lot!), smoked heavily, was overweight and had had a heart attack but the cancer diagnosis still came as shock to him and his family. So many people pin their faith on the magic cure (kale!!) or the one true cause. Cancer is sometimes a cumulative reaction as many health problems are. Even if your cancer is pure bad luck (ie something we don't know about yet and may not be able to avoid) as current research indicates, not also being overweight, heart and lung challenged or otherwise unfit will help in dealing with treatment and recovery. Just as long as we realise that keeping healthy isn't the perfect armour either!! But you'll feel better!
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I agree @Afraser, if you look at the comments, I reflected on being overweight and getting cancer. Wow, the sense of judgement from some people was overwhelming! Cancer is still a bad luck to some degree. It raises some interesting issues though.0
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I am not for a moment suggesting a particular thing causes cancer! I am pretty sure it may not, otherwise my pipe smoking grandfather wouldn't have lived to 94. My mother also smoked, liked a drink and nearly made 94 too! But having a lot of avoidable health issues is something we can take control of. And not be put off by the myriad things we can't control : )0
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@Afraser, true
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@TripleTea so happy for you to have finished all your treatment. Like I told you there’s champagne waiting at the top of the shit covered mountain you have just climbed well done love xx1
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@Afraser and @LucyE I was following links from another recommended article and came across the breast cancer risk calculator. I had a play around with it (pretending I hadn't been diagnosed) and the one thing that brought me out of the moderate risk to high risk was my sister having had BC (she's the only one in my family who has ever had it). I was really surprised about that. Interestingly, it doesn't ask how many siblings you have and how many have had BC - it appears to be that 1 is enough. I know it's a very simple tool but was still interesting to do.0
