After pet/ct scan and mri the multidisciplinary meeting was on Wednesday. The nurse consultant phoned me to say my appointment with the consultant is on Wednesday. She said the scans showed cancer in the cervix, stage 2b and treatment is radiotherapy and brachytherapy, I asked about chemo? She said no. I have well controlled asthma. Lefurbec inhaler each day. I am now worried that I won't be having chemo because of asthma, and just radiotherapy won't be as effective. Feeling anxious again. I will ask these questions on Wednesday but my mind is running away and feeling negative.
I know you are very anxious at the moment, but things will hopefully feel better once you have had your meeting with the consultant-not long to wait now.
Having well controlled asthma would not to my knowledge be a reason not to have Cisplatin chemotherapy along with the radiotherapy, but the multi disciplinary team make their decision based on all sorts of factors depending on the overall health of each patient and their ability to cope with treatment. As we are only patients here in the group, we can only give our own experiences so we won’t be able to say why you’ve been told this.
I have seen in the group incorrect information being given by a nurse in error when telling a patient a plan over the phone, and this is where it’s difficult for you only having a phone call to go on for now. The person who phoned you may have made an error because they didn’t have all the information they needed at the time, or it might just be a simple mistake.
Radiotherapy and brachytherapy are extremely effective treatments for cervical cancer, but please try not to go down this spiral of negative thoughts. In a few days you’ll be able to ask all your questions, and the consultant will explain everything. Are you having difficulties sleeping because of worrying?
Sarah xx
I think we can all empathise with the anxiety we have while waiting for more information-it’s tough to deal with. The unknown can be more worrying than the known at times.
You've got some good self help tips there to focus on, and I’d encourage you to try to remember what worry does to us….it’s like sitting in a rocking chair-you’re moving but not getting anywhere, and our minds are very powerful tools at ramping up anxiety.
We can’t help worrying-it’s our own defence mechanism because of our fear. But I had to learn over the years to try not to let the worry and negative thoughts dominate my thinking.
This is isn’t easy to do, especially when you first have a diagnosis, and I’ve had times over the years where those negative thoughts did creep in. I just became better with time at batting them away. I focused on what I knew for certain, not what I imagined might or might not be in my future. I tried not to use the words “what if…” unless I was using them in a positive way and imagining myself successfully going through whatever was next and coming through it.
One of the most useful pieces of advice I was given was to take one day at a time, even just one hour at a time. Get through that, and focus on the next hour or day. I hope the guided meditation will help bring you more calmness, and looking after your grandchildren will be an excellent distraction for your thoughts. It’s all about accepting your fear and worry, and there is a place for that, but it’s important not to live there with it 24/7!
I hope you have a really enjoyable day today.
Sarah xx
