Struggling today

Hello just reading your posts. I had my op 3 weeks tomorrow. I still feel unwell. I’m going to have to have chemo because of my history. I did have the tablets with radiation last year. I’m going in next week to meet with the oncologist next Wednesday. I’m posting because I looked on YouTube for meditation for while you go through chemo so I thought I might give it a try. Sending hugs and best wishes to us all xx

Hi Nelly1955  3 weeks still early days post op don't be too hard on yourself

good luck for your meeting with ONC next week,

 I think anything that helps you move through chemo is an advantage you just have to get your routine going.   I managed to get out and play golf whilst I did my chemo in 2013 and now I'm post 6 weeks op this time around I'm going to give that a go next week. Meditation and/or exercise will definitely be a help when you feel fit enough and able.

Thank you Parky2170. I am struggling more with anxiety than anything else. Mine was a reaccurance, so it was surgery this time and I knew I would need chemo because I had ablation on a small liver met earlier this year. I had no cancer in the nymph nodes and they sad they got it all out,  I’m not sleeping much and just discomfort and tiredness. Just want to turn a corner. My husband took me to the post office yesterday so I could get stamps post off my cards , went for a drive and I cane back exhausted again. Any tips on getting a positive attitude like yours . Sending hugs and enjoy your google xx

That should have read golf

Nelly1955

Anxiety is entirely natural and totally understandable for any of us .....AND if I had had a reoccurrence my 'positivity' might not be as evident!

Although I had the BC 8 years ago this CRC is  apparently totally unrelated .( thank goodness).... I decided after the last 2 months health wise, I was going to look under every nook and cranny  health wise so got a (late) annual mammogram and US,  PAP smear and my GP decided to look at ovarian cancer blood markers too........ then they bloody well sent me a text asking me to come in to discuss!! well obviously my heart sank. but all was OK so more boxes ticked off for a few years .   Maybe we need to view anxiety as wasted energy and channel it more effectively ( easier said than done I know ). I'll be dreading my next CT scan.......

I hate it when you hear 'they said they got it all' but then they didn't I would imagine that would be extremely challenging to deal with.

also if you think I never get off the computer ( or sleep) I'm in Perth, Australia so I'm 8 hours ahead of everyone on this forum and usually wake up to a barrage of threads and comments and everyone in UK disappearing of to bed!

We still have the luxury atm of ZERO community covid in Western Australia which helps re positivity I guess, no masks, lockdowns or new variants etc to deal with on top of the big C and waiting times, treatment times, full hospitals  etc...that said they will open WA borders around feb/march when we get to 90% vaccinated in this state which of course will hit right in the middle to end of my chemo when I'm at my most immune-suppressed .... ho hum ....

Hi Nelly1955 It’s been 4 weeks since my op but I’m finding each day I’m feeling better than the last, I’ve started to do light exercises each morning and going out with my husband to take the dog out. 

Like you they got all mine out and no cancer was found in my lymph nodes so that’s great news for you, I also need chemo though as they found cancer cells in the nerve of the bowel wall. 

I can understand the anxiety you are feeling and this group offers amazing support, for me I’m looking at it as a job that needs finishing, it’ll be abit of a tough ride but I’ll get there, I’m 51 and have 3 children, my youngest who is 20 suffers with anxiety/ADD but has been amazing, he tells me that I can do this, to see the end goal, time will pass quickly and the reason I have it is because I’m strong enough ti beat it, amazingly he’s been the strongest out of the 3 children and he was the most I worried about. 

it’s still early days for us but getting out the house will help when you are up to it, small walks, I started doing light upper body exercises each day and I’ve also started to drink more fluids ( 2/3 litres a day ) as I’ve heard that helps when you are on chemo, so in my head I’m planning which has helped. 

Hopefully once you’ve seen the oncologist that will help as you will know more, my appointment is next Tuesday so I’ve started writing my questions down (planning again lol ) 

Please let us know how you get on and I’ll keep you all updated, we are all facing this together at this time so we will all be here for eachother ️ 

sending you hugs xx 

Hi Chelmarsh,

Pleased your new bags are much better.

Sorry to hear you need chemo as well.  I had 1 lymph node affected out of 12 with intra mural invasion and had 3 months of chemo.  I had FOLFOX.  After I read the Scot Report I did ask the oncologist why FOLFOX and not CAPOX and he said:  'the idea is to get as much chemo into you but with a stoma CAPOX sometimes isn't absorbed so that was why I was been offered FOLFOX'.

The anticipation before it started was far worse than the actual chemotherapy.  I kept a diary so I could see a pattern developing - and new which would be my good days and which were my bad days.  It was very doable but extremely tiring and made me very weary - I could have slept for Britain!  I took it one cycle at a time and focused on the end - and rested as much as I could.

Best Wishes,

Net77x

so great to hear your doing so well, i’m 4 weeks post op tomorrow also getting out and about albeit round a few shops, been out for dinner but need to incorporate some meaningful walks. 

see consultant on 15th with start of chemo planned for 17/18th

its a worrying time but is a day by day thing to the end goal.

Had been planning on visiting my daughter and grandchildren next weekend but due to start of chemo i fortunately had to postpone.

my lymph nodes  19 taken nothing found however there ware cells found somewhere ( still not sure where or what but he made out it was same as a lymph) will ask oncologist for further clarity on this.

what’s the best way to keep up with our journeys ? on this thread, it really helps me and wouldn’t like to miss any updates.

Have a lovely day everyone my regime is Oxaliplatin and capecitabine on three week cycles. for 4 cycles. 

xx

Hi L16 lovely to hear from you, I haven’t been told when I’m starting my chemo, I’m seeing the oncologist on Tuesday, then the nurse said I will be told what chemo and when I’m starting, I would love to connect with everyone so we can be there for each other, maybe set up a group chat, I think I can private message you, which I’ll do now and if anyone else would like to do that then please message me and I’ll see if I can set a group up

xx 

Hi Chelmarsh I’ve messaged you x.