Moving On Course

Hi, Ive attended one of these. It was five months after radiotherapy, in February 2022. I was diagnosed January 2021. I’d had chemo and a mastectomy also.. For me, it was too early. I wasn’t emotionally settled. I’m not sure I had really accepted my diagnosis at that point, although I was never in denial. In my group, I was the most recently treated. Almost all had been diagnosed around two-three years previously. 
I think it’s a very personal thing. But I didn’t realise that I wasn’t ready until halfway through the course. 

Thank you for responding, I really appreciate it & it's good to hear from others about their experience experiences.

its definitely a strange unknown journey we all go through, although I'm sure we all experience some similar emotions along the way.

I really resonated with what you said about accepting your diagnosis, whilst not being in denial, I'm sure many of us would agree. I look back at the start of my journey, the diagnosis, the shock for me, my family and friends. I was then thrown into chemo four weeks later in February 2022 & have only just finished yesterday, due to low neuts & infections. I think there's so much to take in and process, which isn't easy with, both physically and emotionally. 

You've been through a huge journey with your chemo, radiotherapy & mastectomy, I'm sure you are still processing all of that, because I think our brains protect us to be able to continue through it, but the shock is still there despite us not being in denial.

Thank you again for sharing your journey and I wish you all the best ️

Hi

I had a mastectomy, chemo and finished radiotherapy last month and start abemaciclib this week. I am booked onto a moving on course in November. For me it is about helping me work out the new normal and the future. It feels like it signals the end of acute treatment. Maybe a bit of closure. It might be too soon but I am not quite sure what I am expecting from the course anyway. As with everything it is a personal journey and the timing of the course, or even if you do it all, is very much down to you.

Hi StaceyP2  I was diagnosed in March 2018 and did the Moving Forward course in the November of that year after completing treatment ( I was on Letrozole ).. I found the course really helpful especially regarding self monitoring and strategies to deal with stress/anxiety as well as talking with other women who had experienced a BC diagnosis. . I am still in touch with ladies who did the course and we meet up.  There is another course, the Hope course, which I didn’t do due to Covid/lockdown. Doing the course is up to you as it’s a personal decision. 

Best Wishes

Thank you for replying, I agree we are all on our own journeys.  I guess I'm just unsure as to when I should do this course, which probably means I'm not quite ready. I'm going yo sit with it for a while and see how I feel, probably wait until I've seen my oncologist after next weeks scans and what next treatment steps are?

I wondered if you might find it useful to talk to the course organisers to explain how you feel. They may be able to offer some guidance as to whether the course is suitable for your needs at the moment. They may also know the make up of the people in the course you would be assigned to, and whether they are aligned with the stage you are at.  That may help a little bit with your decision. 

I have contacted a local course and I am awaiting a reply, as she his on holiday at the moment. I will let you know what her advise is when she has contacted me. 

Hi just wanted to agree I did mine this month finished treatment 2 months ago and it definitely was too early for me too

I actually feel it’s made my worries anxieties worse. Also others on course were 1-2-3 years post treatment so I didn’t feel I connected at all. Wish I’d been advised to leave it but sought it out as I  needed help post treatment and thought that was it .Just turned out this wasn’t what I needed at that point in time 

finding this post treatment time very hard indeed 

Bless you. I can empathise. I didn’t really want to say anything about the effect it had on me, as it was my choice to do the course, but like you, I emotionally and mentally went backwards … quite badly. I think that Hederas reply (above) is a wise one. Had I done that, I probably wouldn’t have done the course … at that time.
However, all this doesn’t take away the very good things that these courses offer. One of the contributors on my course was a psychologist, and he gave a presentation on the effects of initial shock, scanxiety, fear of recurrence etc, using cartoony slides to explain what happens to us in that process and why we all seem to have similar experiences. He then gave useful advice on how to mitigate this. 

Hello and thank you for replying to my post, for sharing your thoughts and feelings on the course. Im really sorry that you are struggling post treatment, have you contacted MacMillan about their counselling? I struggled mid point through my chemo and contacted them for the 6 sessions, which I had and I have to say it helped me tremendously. I would strongly encourage you to give it a try. Wishing you all the very best and sending you a huge hug xxx