New member

Hi  and a warm welcome to the board. I think people don’t always consider the effect that cancer has on us mentally - the diagnosis comes as a shock and the treatment is pretty hardcore too. The fear of reoccurrence is always lurking but will hopefully get pushed further and further back into your mind with each clear scan. It’s impossible not to worry but I tried to tell myself that it wouldn’t change the outcome. Hopefully you won’t get a reoccurrence but if you did then try to view it as being picked up quickly by the scan therefore making it more treatable. 
Have you thought about ringing the support nurses on here for a chat? They’re available 7 days a week from 8-8 on 0808 808 00 00. Macmillan are also offering 6 free counselling sessions in conjunction with BUPA which you could maybe ask about?

I’m glad you’ve reached out and joined us - sometimes only people who’ve been in the same situation totally get how you’re feeling

Take care

Karen x

Hi Karen,

Thanks for replying, that's really kind of you.  I'm actually really lucky enough to have private healthcare so all my operations and my treatment is being done privately (with AXA).  I have a specialist nurse at AXA who I speak to which is nice and she calls every so often to check in and see how I am.  I have thought about calling the number but really wouldn't know where to start and what to say - do I just tell them how I'm feeling.  

You are right about people who are in the same situation only really understanding - that's what my husband said.  He said that although him and our daughter are there for me, they don't really understand what I'm going through.

Take care and thank you for replying xx

www.workingwithcancer.co.uk/.../After-the-treatment-finishes-then-what.pdf

This is my favourite paper that helps with the afterwards, I hope it may help. Let your family read it too, it may help them. Take care xx

Hi September17

It’s so very different talking with people on the same road. There’s a connection you wish you didn’t have, but can appreciate it all the same. 

When you’ve completed this course, you might like to consider a HOPE course - they’re run locally by Macmillan volunteers as structured group therapy. The course was compiled with professional input. 

Welcome and I’m glad you’ve posted because yes you will find people here experiencing many of the same feelings.  I find this  group a little different from other online groups because people don’t want to be on it all the time, so sometimes it can take a while for people to respond but people are out here and when they do post you tend to find like-minded people who know exactly what you’re talking about.  (For example my diet group will get 25 responses in a day, so it took me a while to get used to the lower traffic here. ). I do think the Macmillan hotline is helpful too and yes you can just call and ramble about how you are feeling- they are used to it.  My husband found them helpful in the early days when he was confused and worried but didn’t necessarily have a question to take to his care nurses.  He also has found special connections on here of people he emails during those long nighttimes when you need to talk to someone who is going through the same thing.  Best wishes.

Interesting Wellspring I will need to find out more about that and link it in for other posters too .

Thanks for bringing that to our forum !

Court 

thank you for sending this through, I've printed it off and going to read it xx