Survivorship struggles
Hi community, I'm not even too sure what I want to say or ask to be honest. It's just all feeling a bit heavy at the moment. I'm having a morning (yet another) where I've logged on to work from home but I'm struggling to focus and concentrate. (thanks Tamoxifen, lack of sleep, anxiety 🙄). Also, breast cancer awareness month is feeling like a bit much - especially following doing a fund raiser in the office yesterday. Plus last night I had a talk with my partner about what medical menopause is doing to my body and sex drive (he was supportive but a bit bewildered). Add to that over the last couple of weeks I've fallen off the wagon a bit with my diet and exercise, so that's affecting how I'm feeling. (Going back to gym this afternoon for weights and yoga - yay me). Anyway, I guess I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything it means to be living in survivor-land. Don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful to be here and able to "find a new normal". It's just a lot. Some days it's really a lot. Thanks. Any words of wisdom or support? Maybe this will help someone else feeling the same way to feel less alone, too.96ViewsSign in to react to this post9Comments🌱 Wednesday Wellness: Some Feelings Don't Need Fixing 💗
One of the hardest parts of a breast cancer experience that yourself and your loved ones learn to navigate is the emotional load that shows up with each appointment, each medical update, each sleepless night and sometimes, each day in general. It's almost like the world expects the emotional side of it to fit into a neat little story. You're diagnosed. You have treatment. They call you brave. You stay strong.💪 Sometimes there's pressure, from ourselves or others, to be positive. To focus on the good news. To be grateful. To move on. But the reality is that breast cancer comes with a complicated mix of emotions. You might feel relieved treatment is over, while also feeling anxious about the future. You might be grateful for your support network, while grieving the changes to your body. You might feel hopeful one moment and completely overwhelmed the next. None of those feelings are wrong. 🌸🌿 Emotions aren't a test we're supposed to pass. There is no gold star for being positive all the time. Sometimes breast cancer leaves us carrying emotions that don't make sense together. Relief and fear. Gratitude and grief. Hope and sadness. We can be genuinely thankful for our treatment, our doctors, our support networks... while at the very same time feeling angry about what we've lost. Often, the feelings we try hardest to push away are the ones that keep tapping us on the shoulder asking to be noticed. Sometimes what we need isn't to fix an emotion, judge it, or talk ourselves out of it. Sometimes we simply need to acknowledge it. "Today I'm feeling frustrated and angry at everything." "Today I'm feeling scared and want to run away from it all." "Today I'm feeling sick and tired of all of this." And then allowing that feeling to exist without adding guilt on top. 💜 Feeling angry doesn't make you ungrateful. 💜 Feeling anxious doesn't mean you're not coping. 💜 Feeling sad doesn't mean you're weak. 💜 Feeling okay doesn't mean you've forgotten what you've been through. Whatever you're carrying today, there's room for it here. If you're finding emotions difficult to navigate, these resources may offer some additional support: 📚 Beyond Blue Resource Library Practical information, tools and resources to support mental health and wellbeing. https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/resource-library 💻 Black Dog Institute Online Clinic A free, confidential online mental health assessment with personalised feedback and guidance. https://onlineclinic.blackdoginstitute.org.au/ 📞 As always our Helpline is only one phone call away on 1800 500 258, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm AEDT. 💕 We'd love to hear from you. Has there been an emotion you've been trying to make space for lately, rather than push away? Sometimes simply naming it can be the first step toward being a little gentler with ourselves.ViewsSign in to react to this postComments
Recurrence?
My social media post is flooded, at present, with stories of women who are, or have recently, come through a second or third battle with cancer. It's a bit overwhelming! 7 months out from diagnosis of small, early, invasive BC, and 6 weeks post end of my treatment, I'd really appreciate a "hands up" from any lovely ladies who were diagnose and treated in their 50s or early 60s who are 5-10 years post without a recurrence or new cancer. Thanks, Lovelies.ViewsSign in to react to this postCommentsPost-treatment Tired and can't afford to be
Hi there, I am a 60 year old who has had a pretty-easy, early-invasive BC journey: Small, ER+, PR+, HER-; Lumpectomy with clear margins; 2 lymph nodes taken but uninvolved; Axillar seroma drained; 15 fractions of RT; Maybe some early lymphodema in breast, Letrozole from diagnosis through RT but then told I would not benefit much from it (0.6% benefit in reduced recurrence rates) and discontinued it due to side effects. I am 4 months post-surgery and 6 weeks post-RT, and have been off Letrazole for a month or more. I am back at clerical work (work from home) full-time now, after working back up gradually, and I am stuffed! I can barely get out of bed in the morning, and if I can stay upright in my seat and keep my brain focussed, by the end of the day I am completely useless. Rad Onc says the fatigue should not be RT related at this point. Now I feel like I should be able to just "snap out of it" but that's totally beyond me and I just want to cry and sleep. (For transparency, I should maybe admit (& remember for my own benefit) that since my initial biopsy my husband and I have organised a son's engagement party, done a road trip and purchased a home 1500 km away, organised renovations and done 2 more trips to keep tabs on the works, watched 2nd son sworn in as a cop, and seen no. 1 son marry. Maybe that's part of the fatigue ...along with the panic over working full-time, decluttering/downsizing, packing and moving in 3 months.) Maybe my problem is actually a dose of insanity...? 🤪 Can anyone with a similar, "straightforward" BC journey share whether their "normal" returned and how long it took? Thanks for "listening".ViewsSign in to react to this postComments
How do you go back to normal?
I have had a whirlwhind of a journey over the past 6weeks. Found a lump, did all the testing, had stage 2 IDC, HR+, left breast removed, direct to implant done while having breast removed. 5 active tumors were found and 4 lymph nodes removed. A week post surgery, I get my results- all clear. there is no cancer and no chemo or radiation is required. I am relieved but now just confused. How do you go on with normal life? I will start Hormone Therapy in a few weeks but it's such a weird feeling knowing that I am all ok. Please don't get me wrong that I am relieved but it's taking a while to process. Anyone else feel the same?ViewsSign in to react to this postCommentsFeeling emotional
Hi, when I was first diagnosed a couple of months ago I went straight into survival mode, very focused on my clients (I work in mental health and disability), my business, and getting the treatment I needed. For quite a while it didn’t feel real, even with the appointments and scans and surgery. About two weeks post surgery it hit me and I have been very emotional ever since. With my clinical background I understand it, but I an nevertheless surprised by it. I know everything says it can be an emotional roller coaster, but I never expected the strength of it. I think I expected that once I had surgery and they confirmed it hadn’t spread that I would feel relieved, not still so tired and upset. Is anyone else comfortable sharing what their emotional journey is/has been?ViewsSign in to react to this postComments
Bayside Melbourne
Hi everyone, Just diagnosed sadly. It's a little lump so this whole situation should just end up a another campfire story. Hopefully. My family has never experienced anything to do with the big C word. It's very foreign to any of us and I was just wondering if there is any one base I'd Melbourne who was experiencing the same thing? If so it would be really nice to meet up for a coffee or something and just chat about what's to come next. Love and hope, Sim xViewsSign in to react to this postComments
Just diagnosed - it's all moving so fast
Hi everyone, I was just diagnosed yesterday (Wednesday) with DCIS, plus a focal area of invasive carcinoma NST, provisional grade 2, ER and PR positive and HER2 negative. I meet with the surgeon tomorrow and it all just feels like it is happening so fast my mind is swirling. Very thankful to have found this site as I have already found so much useful information!ViewsSign in to react to this postCommentsJust diagnosed
Hi, I thought I would introduce myself here. I am 49 years old and have just been diagnosed (two days ago) with an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in my left breast. HR+ HER 2 negative, provisional grade 1, 4 small lumps. Will be meeting my surgeon at RBWH next week on Wednesday. The last 11 days, since the Breast screen recall feel like a blur. So much has happened and of course I didn’t anticipate any of that (lumps aren’t palpable). I have been directed here by the wonderful nurse from the Breast Screen and am very grateful to find so much support and information. I haven’t told my kids or friends yet so it feels good to be able to open up here.ViewsSign in to react to this postComments
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