I just wanted to post my applause for that brilliant fund-raising TV piece by Macmillan. I was diagnosed with breast cancer late March 2019 and prescribed 6 months of chemotherapy, to be followed by a "lumpectomy" and then radiotherapy. I'm nearly half-way through the radiotherapy and so approaching the end of the major treatments, which seem to have been successful. So no complaints.
But, as we know, cancer treatments and especially chemotherapy involve poisoning parts of the body which are not targeted. I did very well for the first 3 months or so and then, under a yew-tree derivative, started to develop first an adverse reaction, then side-effects. It felt like my body had lost the concept of eating. My taste-buds went haywire and I was producing no saliva, so things either felt like dust and ashes in my mouth or else they were overwhelming sweet, or bitter, or sour, or salt. And then it seemed that my whole digestive system, from mouth to anus, had lost the knack of the eating thing. Living alone (not in a sad way), I did start to decline. Lack of energy - and lack of any feeling of hunger - made it easier to think about "eating tomorrow". I lost a third of my bodyweight in quite a short time. It wasn't until I really realised how weak I was becoming (and collapsing in the carpark of a supermarket and needing an ambulance) that I finally really realised that I was in danger.
I am now, finally, just about back to normal. My taste-buds are working again, I feel normally hungry and I'm poohing again like a normal human being. But, what really grabs me about that man-in-bath ad is that I now dare to get into the bath and get out of it again. Because my muscles had got so weakened that for several months I knew I couldn't raise and lever myself out of my bath.
However, I have survived - but should probably have called for help from a community like this. "Brave soldier" attitude is all very well, but sometimes we need a little help...
:)
Hi denique and a very warm welcome to the online community
I'm sorry to hear all that you've been through but it's great that you're now feeling so much better. I didn't have this type of cancer but I do understand the effects that having a cancer diagnosis can bring.
I'm sure you'll get lots of support from this group and also be in a position yourself to support others who are just starting on their journey.
When you have a minute it would be really useful if could pop something about your journey so far into your profile as it helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar diagnosis. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Edit Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
