Success - Finished First Maintenance Round of BCG

I am very grateful to be part of this community Nigel. The support from all you guys is wonderful.

Love Ade xx

Hi Ade,

Tis a strange thing how our lives can turn on a sixpence..

Not cancer related but I was off work with after a nervous breakdown, really wasn't in a good place for year's. Finally got some 1 to 1 counselling which literally saved my life (was in a very dark place) turned my life back around.

I still suffer from anxiety to this day, but I'm back at work, still working for the same company that created my issues ( different role though),. I often wonder wth am I doing, but I don't mind my work.

Some days I find living with a cancer diagnosis easier than my mental health issues, but every Day is different...

Oops waffling again,... Basically I meant to just say things can and do get better. It's been 13 years since I crashed and I'm still here lol.

Wishing you all the best and I really hope your counselling helps you as much as it did me.

Take care.

Trevor 

We have got this Ade x

Hi Ade,

I think it’s great you had the courage to know you needed support mentally, and great your son is a counsellor, it must make you feel very proud. I have found over the years I have had to be very strong mentally as my daughter who is 36 was diagnosed at 18 with OCD and it became so severe she was hospitalised for 4 months at Bethlam, she now lives back home with us after breaking up with her boyfriend of 8 years but we muddle along quite well most of the time, it can be difficult as OCD is still a major factor in our lives, and it didn’t help when her pops was diagnosed with bladder cancer 9 years ago, then for me to also be diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago it was particularly difficult and stressful for us all as a family.

Annie xx

Thanks Trevor. It really has been a difficult year. Before this I was busy dealing with other people in the family being poorly. I think that as I've already lost my Mum 65 and Brother 47 to cancer I'm hypervigilant (that's what the counsellor calls it) and I'm determined that it's not going to happen to me. The counselling is helping me. Thank you for sharing your story with me, and well done for your determination to get well again. I can tell that you are one of the good guys and we need more of those ️ 

Love Ade xx

Thanks BB  

Love Ade xx

Hi Ade,I’m glad the counselling is helping.I hope you get some sleep tonight.Love Jane xx 

Hi Annie

I have always been mentally strong too. I've dealt with a lot of close family illness and other family issues. When I got this diagnosis I felt like I was taking notes and researching Bladder Cancer for someone else. It took until after my second TURBT for it to sink in that it was ME that had the cancer, weird I know!! You are right, I'm very proud of my counsellor son he has a wise head on young shoulders. 

You've had it rough Annie! Worrying about a child no matter how old they are is so hard on you. My eldest son suffered from anxiety from the age of 16 and for a while he found it difficult to leave the house, go to college and even see friends. It's very difficult to access help for a teen as they seem to fall between children's and adult services. I'm so glad that there is a big push on improving mental health services across the board. He is much better now, but me and his Dad do keep a close eye on him. 

It must be very stressful for your family that both your Husband and yourself are dealing with a diagnosis of Cancer and my heart goes out to you all.

Thank you for your continued support.  Take care .

Love Ade xx

Thanks Jane ️ 

I'm switching off now.

Goodnight  Hope you get some sleep too  

Love Ade  xx

Thanks Ade, 

It seems everyone has issues outside of their cancer diagnosis, which makes this support group really important, being able to chat without judgement is wonderfully cathartic and I value every one of the people here
It seems we have similar thoughts around a parent with cancer, my dad died from a brain tumour at 64, and I have always had this age imprinted in my mind as a type of goal to reach, when I was diagnosed at 63 I was quite stressed  believing I would also not reach past my 64th birthday, but medical science has moved on so much now and more people are being given the opportunity to live a longer life after a cancer diagnosis, I will be eternally grateful to our wonderful NHS.

A️nnie xxx