Vaginal atrophy. Why didn't someone warn me?
There’s a long list of things nobody warns you about when you go through cancer treatment. It is fairly well known that chemotherapy, radiation therapy and significant surgery all carry risks and sid...
Forum Discussion
@Movingon I've just caught up on all your comments and I am SO sorry to read that you're having such an awful time of it. It sounds like you have a lot more going on that the horrible side effects and that you are in a very dark place. I don't know if this will help (but I hope so): One of the most difficult things about being in a dark place is believing in the light. People will suggest all kinds of things but your mind responds with "what's the point!" and keeps sending you messages like "give up!" and "you're useless!" and "you deserve this!" and when people try to tell you otherwise this internal bully over-rides them.
Please know that this pattern started as your mind trying to keep you safe. You are not broken and it doesn't matter whether or not the stories your mind is telling you are true. What matters is, are they USEFUL? Do they help you to live a life aligned with your values, or do they keep pushing you further into that dark place? It IS possible to make friends with your mind and to learn how to overcome internal bullying. If you can find a psychologist trained in Acceptance Commitment Therapy I highly recommend it.
If you can't find one, or can't afford one, there are lots of resources out there, including a book I wrote for people dealing with fear of recurrence, anxiety and depression following cancer treatment. It's called "Free From Fear - Living Well After Cancer" and you can get it cheaply for Kindle on Amazon. I also keep the paper copies cheap so that everyone can afford them and any small profit I make gets donated. Here's the link:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Free-Fear-Living-after-cancer/dp/1521249377/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G867VF83FJ5X&keywords=free+from+fear+living+well+after+cancer&qid=1703196938&s=books&sprefix=free+from+fear+living+well+after+cance%2Cstripbooks%2C232&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com.au/Free-Fear-Living-after-cancer/dp/1521249377/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G867VF83FJ5X&keywords=free+from+fear+living+well+after+cancer&qid=1703196938&s=books&sprefix=free+from+fear+living+well+after+cance%2Cstripbooks%2C232&sr=1-1
My very best wishes for your future recovery. Please remember that our lives have ebbs and flows and that even when times are very dark we can be sure that light will come again, but sometimes we need to look up, and climb out.
With love
Meg