Waiting for treatment to begin, new to group

Hi PollyH, so sorry to read your story and I am glad you have your treatment sorted out. I too am about to start my own treatment (5 Aug) so can relate to the nervousness and worry. If I'm entirely honest, I'm petrified but hope the treatment will be successful.

You are in the right place to get some great advice,  the people on here are wonderful and have kept me from losing my mind with their wealth of information, encouragement and kind words.

I'm sure you will find the same support and will feel more confident moving ahead.

Best wishes with your treatment

Jo x

Hello PollyH

Sorry to hear you are having such a rough time with this awful disease.

I am also stage 3 with lymph nodes, but my tumour has invaded the fatty tissue outside my rectum.

I have just started my third week of radiotherapy and on Thursday I received my 4th chemo IV.

After the first few days I started to feel less pressure in my backside, which made sitting a little easier. I hope you also get some relief early doors.

I don't have any experience of the blood clots, but chatting with your nurse sounds like a very good idea. I am sure they will have lots of experience and be able to reassure you.

I have found the group invaluable for advice and support and you can ask anything.

Wishing you the very best for your treatment and hope some of the symptoms eased a little soon.

Ally xxx

Hi Jo

Thank you for replying and so sorry to hear uou are also going through this. Good luck with the treatment. I can relate to feeling scared. 

Take care

Polly

X

Hi Ally

Thank you for your message and likewise so sorry you are going through this.

That's good to know you started to feel less pressure after a few sessions. It does seem like the treatment is fast acting 

Wishing you all the best

Polly

Hello PollyH

A warm welcome to our little corner on the MacMillan forum, although I am sorry that you found the need to be here at all.  The time between first going to the doctor to finally getting a diagnosis seems to go on forever with scans, biopsies, appointments and meetings.   During that time I went around in a bubble of terror and it wasn't until treatment started that I felt huge relief that at last something was being done.

My tumour was submucosal and I had no idea it was there as I had no symptoms apart from feeling tired.  It is a good idea to speak to your cancer nurse about the blood clots, it may well be your tumour but tell her anyway.

The treatment can be tough but has a very high success rate and although most of us had side effects they don't come all at once, and the radiotherapy is painless and over in a matter of minutes.  It is normally around the third week that you might have a gradual tightening of the skin, like sunburn.  My side effects were quite severe but my treating team were on it all the time, so if you are finding things tough, please do tell them.  They have an array of meds at their disposal which can be prescribed the same day.

I hope the nurse can reassure you tomorrow and please let us know how you get on next week.  We will all be thinking of you.

Big hug

Irene xx

Thanks Irene for your lovely warm welcome. Yup it's the forum group none of us ever imagine belonging too I guess! I am glad that I joined and really welcome yours and others messages.

Thanks for sharing how the treatment and journey has been for you. The waiting around from knowing something isn't right to getting that diagnosis and the  starting treatment has been so long. I went to the GP in January saying I was experiencing some strange symptoms and was misdiagnosed as being menopausal! Oh well at least treatment is starting soon and hopefully zap this awful tumor away.

Thanks again for reaching out and I'll let you know how next week goes

Hi PollyH 

Welcome to the club none of us want to be in. Im sorry you are having  a rough time. Everything you are feeling is totally normal. Personally I only had a little discomfort pre treatment as part of my tumour was external and sitting had started to become uncomfortable. Its definitely a good idea to check things with your nurse though. I understand you feeling nervous about treatment and while we all react and cope differently with it,  while it wasn't a walk in the park it wasn't as bad as i expected. The time went by quickly. I have seen others on here who were in pain prior to treatment who say they felt better once it started and although I wasn't in pain the external part of my tumour disappeared quite quickly. Im now just over 8 months post and cancer free. Good luck for Monday. Sending hugs. Xx

Hi Dahlia68 

Good luck for the 5th. Sending hugs. Xx

Hi Bungle 

Ah thank you for your lovely message! Congratulations on being cancer free that's so great to hear. 

I'll call my nurse tomorrow re the bleeding and good to hear from you that treatment started to make a difference quickly so many people on this group seem to saybthe same, which is reassuring 

Hugs back

Polly

Hello Polly,

 I just want to welcome you to the group and I’m really sorry about your diagnosis. Waiting to start treatment is such a difficult time with so much going on in body and mind. 
Im not surprised you feel very tired. Managing the emotional impact as well as the symptoms together with the effects of the morphine is a lot to deal with.

 I had bleeding in the months prior to diagnosis and treatment, but would definitely suggest speaking to your nurse.  

Im sure it will be a relief to start treatment on Monday and you will be supported and monitored by your team throughout.

 I had T2N1 anal cancer which finished late November 24. My 6 month scan showed no evidence of cancer so the treatment is really effective.

Wishing you well for Monday,

Sending hugs,

xx