Now it's over

Hello Abigail

First of all, I am so very happy to hear of your results, you got through it and came out the other side, that really is wonderful news!  But I completely understand that the end of treatment doesn't come alone, unfortunately.  Many people say how completely flat they feel and what a struggle it is to get back (if at all) to the person they once were.  And unfortunately, some friends and family think you should be happy, grateful even, everything in your life should be getting back to normal.

A very insightful person on here said the body is cured, the mind is a different matter.  I think that people who can forget that they ever heard a cancer diagnosis must be a rare breed indeed.  For the majority of us the reality of having had and been treated for cancer springs to mind at various times and especially with any new (invariably innocent) ache or pain.  There are some members on the forum who have really benefitted from counselling, the MacMillan help line who can help and point you in the right direction.  Alternatively, if you have a Maggie's close by they offer a lot of help, I visited when I first got my diagnosis and they have a team of professionals who all have great experience in cancer, the treatments and the mental and physical after effects.

My heart goes out to you, Abigail, but please remember you are not alone, many of us share your feelings to some degree.  PTSD is widely recognised by professionals, and I would urge you to seek help if you are really struggling.

And we are always here to offer support too.

Irene xx

Good morning Abigail congratulations on completing your treatment and good news you are doing well according to your oncologist. Your poor body has gone through the mill as they say and when you start to feel you are getting back to normal you wonder why you are not jumping on the roof tops with joy. I can relate to how you are feeling and can remember early post treatment I don’t really think I knew how to explain how I was feeling. I told my husband I was screaming inside my head and wanted to be like I was before the cancer. My husband lost his first wife to breast cancer that returned and said we have faced possible early death and it’s a shock to the system. We had a Maggies connected to my hospital which help with counselling and my local cancer charity offer buddies which are volunteers who have had cancer and can empathise how you are feeling. It can be like a roller coaster of emotions and you sometimes cannot explain why. Macmillan helpline can be useful and also your doctors who may feel you would benefit from a period taking some antidepressants or services available in your area. I know some members on here have greatly benefited from taking antidepressants for a while. In my experience it does get better with time and I am 26 months post treatment. You can come on here also and let go and we are all willing to help each other along the way.

Julie