Blogging can be a great way to journal your experiences and share with others. Why not create your own cancer journey blog, or have a read of other blogs created by our members?
Unsure how to get started? Take a look at our help pages on blogs.
I write this with genuine empathy for those of you who may need support with your mental health but have no access to it or find yourselves on an extensive NHS waiting list. I'm no expert but have been in the system for most of my life; by in the system, I mean, that for the majority of my life I have had mental health issues, so have been 'treated' by the NHS mental health services & know how difficult it can be just to get seen by someone or receive help.
The NHS mental health system...
I'm an animal lover & Iive with a cat; she was a scrawny undernourished little ball of fur, living rough on the streets when I took her in & then I became her personal slave.
After several years of spitting, hissing, biting & hiding she has finally decided that I'm not that bad for a human, but grateful, she's not.
I'm used to cuddly cats, the type that run to greet you, snuggle with you by the fire & purr gratefully when fed, not one that looks at me with disdain (yes! cats...
I lay in my bed alone in the dark curled into a ball & sobbed.
The fear, anxiety, stress & dread was so intense that no morphine equivalent would ease the pain. Every past hurt, loss, heartache & painfull experience came back to haunt me that night. I begged over & over 'please make this stop'. I was drowning in my own despair & had no buoyancy to help me. That night I would have gratefully left this world because my emotional pain was too much for me.
This is the thing...
When I was first diagnosed, I remember someone saying to me 'STAY POSITIVE' my immediate response was 'it was testing positive to cancer that got me into this state so I would rather stay negative thank you very much' I felt immensely angry.
At that time I was in an emotionally raw state & extremely irritable so could not see that that person was just trying to say the best thing they could; on reflection, I know, they were just trying to be kind.
Being positive can seem a very...
One of the aspects of living with cancer is the sense of perspective it gives us. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. By that I mean it causes us to re-evaluate what we’re doing. To pause, reflect and check. We can call it the value of Acceptance and Letting Go.
We need to let go of some things and to encourage others. Ideally it wouldn’t be cancer that is the stimulus, but it is in my case, and I’m sure in some others cases too.
Cancer is a jolt, it can stop you in your tracks...
It's hard to describe what ran through my head the day of diagnosis but it was a mixture of shock, anxiety, disbelief, anger, fear, helplessness, loneliness, devastation & dread.
The distressed wreck on the floor was me & I didn't know how to begin to cope.
Overwhelmed is an understatement & I remember thinking how unfair life felt, you see I've never been fortunate enough to have had good health & have battled mental illness for most of it, I have always worked hard to pay my way...
This week, we’ve been asking the Community about the benefits of pets. We’ve really enjoyed putting this piece together and it’s clear to see our pets mean so much to us. They can be our most loyal companions, our shoulder to lean on and an ever-lasting source of comfort and love. It’s been so lovely to see all of the responses we received and I’ve no doubt you’ll all love them too.
"...the crazy cockapoo welcome I get on my return from work is the perfect antidote...
After finding a breast lump & finally getting an appointment with a GP, the doctor, after examination, informed me that in her professional opinion it felt like a normal cyst and she was sure I had nothing to worry about but that she would refer me to a breast clinic anyway.
Within 2 weeks I had my appointment at the breast clinic, so first stop was a chat & examination by consultant No.1 during his examination, he said in his professional opinion it felt like a cyst & not a cancerous lump, so...
It was a pleasant day, I remember it, I was grateful of it & it lifted my spirits somewhat because most days for me can be emotionally tiresome & draining, so, whenever I have a good day it gives me a little boost of confidence & a spark of hope that its possible, in the future, that I will have other good days. My good days are not extravagant, they are simply days where I feel well enough to face the day, complete some chores, deal with lifes problems & not feel so drained & extremely...
A cancer diagnosis can have a devastating & debilitating effect on your mental health, plunging you into a darkness that only you can see.
I'm not crazy but I've spent a lifetime, since childhood, struggling with extreme depression, anxiety & panic attacks which believe me, at times, makes you feel crazy. Its extremely difficult for someone who has never experienced mental illness to truly understand it & it is equally as difficult for a person with a mental illness to fully describe the daily...
