What would you tell yourself on the day you were diagnosed?

Well said Ixa.

So sorry to hear your news though - but it looks like you have the best attitude towards it, keep that up!!!

I think we all learn something about ourselves (and others) with a diagnosis and I would personally say that I am a better person for it , notwithstanding the physical aspect that is!!!

All the very best wishes for the start of your "journey" - there is lots of support on here for you.

KrisPy

If I could go back to the day I was diagnosed with Stage 4 incurable (but potentially treatable) metastasic melanoma, I’d tell myself that I will deal with this better than I could imagine. My curiosity will be my best partner, and my awareness of “being alive” will stand me in really good stead.

I’d also tell myself not to wait for the illness to make me feel ill before I allow myself to live. My diagnosis is serious, but for a long time I won’t actually feel like a sick person. There will be treatment and there will be side effects, but there wI’ll also be ordinary days, good days, laughter, plans, travel and things to look forward to.

So live my best life while I can—not because I’m pretending the cancer isn’t there, but because it is there and I‘m still here. Don’t give the illness more of my life than it actually needs to take.

And don’t assume I know how the story progresses and ends. I don’t.

The first thing I had to remember was that I was diagnosed and that things would move quickly to put a plan in place.

I wish I'd realised how difficult it could be to find the right person or group to ask about side effects and pain relief following radiotherapy.

Being open and honest with family, friends and colleagues about what was happening to me and how I felt was - and remains - important. The first time I said "I have prostate cancer" was difficult, but it got easier.

Trucker61 said:

I'm a better and stronger human being, it has taught me I'm  a lot and in a strange way I'm grateful to have had this experience to help me find a peace and tranquility  that is the new person I've become. 

So happy to read this. Having survived a similar treatment I never realised a doctor could do such a dreadful thing to his patient. I agree that coming through such a vicious physical assault stirs you up and either makes you a stronger, kinder and more resilient person or eats away into your soul forever. I see both though the latter is thankfully not so common