body image - weight loss

Hi Angela,

It’s Megan here from Macmillan’s Online Community team. I wanted to reply to offer some support whilst you wait for others who may have had a similar experience to find your post.

I am sorry to hear you have been experiencing some side effects, although it’s encouraging to hear they have been getting less frequent. It’s quite natural to have worries about the side effects of treatment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the treatment has not worked.

Hopefully the results of your endoscopy will provide some reassurance, but in the meantime, I think having a chat with one of the Nurses here at Macmillan may help. They can talk through your concerns and provide support information.

To get in touch, you can:

• post a question in the Ask a Nurse section (Monday-Friday)
• Call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, start a webchat or email from 8am to 8pm

There is also some guidance on the Macmillan website around ‘Changes to your appearance and body image’. This page has links to booklets and information that may help you.

I do hope this all help but if you have any further questions or need help using the site, please don’t hesitate to email Community@macmillan.org.uk or send a private message to the Moderator account.

Hi Angela, i too was quite slim when i had the camera down the throat, July 2024, as i had been losing weight for no reason, ignored by the oncologist, wasnt trying to lose weight at all.  turns out after treatment for breast cancer, it was discovered when food kept getting stuck, that i had a T2 tumour.  they fitted a feeding tube into the smaller bowel, so that kept my weight good enough low 7 stones to have the operation.  1500 calories fed by a bottle. So fast forward after binning off the shakes and the feeding tube, was told to eat anything high calorie, not about being healthy, just get that weight back on.  Food tube came out March 2025, op was Jan 2025.  So now November present am 8 stone 4ib, which mortified me, heaviest i have been for years, so the weight will go back on but gradually,

ive always weighed myself weekly for years, so i could monitor how much was going on, very very gradual, but as i could eat again, just went for cheese, sausage and egg fried sandwiches, anything high in calories that i could enjoy.  I see pictures pop up showing me this time last year, and it is shocking, i thought i looked good, but wearing size 6 clothes, and being so thin sideways on was a shock, like you said.   The treatment does knock the crap out of your body, i was under a dietician for over a year, and got soups which were full of all the good stuff, and 250 calories, it might be worth contacting your support team if they haven’t got you under a dietician.  One thing that every one who has gone through this awful cancer said was, its a marathon, not a sprint, it can take a couple of years to get over all of it.  I still am deffo

Hope this helps a bit, take care, Jules x

Thanks W1cky for your message.   What was your cancer - same as mine, or somewhere else  ?   I will shortly be taking Actagain chocolate drink x 2 to try to gain weight.  I usually used to wear fitted clothing, but since Ive lost half a stone in weight, I am wearing baggy jumpers and shapeless trousers !   This is for the benefit of my son, daughter and grandchildren so they can't see how thin I am.  I wish you all the best,  warm wishes Angela  x

i did have a mastectomy semptember 2023, then after weight loss and swallowing issues, a camera found a tumour in my oesophagus, july 2024, so i had radio/chemo then the op where my stomach is now my oesophagus, think it was t2 no mo, bit of a blur, if i am honest, just now trying to sort my head out whilst dealing with my body, impressive scars for sure.  but deffo getting the right outfit on makes a big difference.  if i can help in any way just shout

jules x

You've certainly been through the mill, one way or another.  I am so lucky to have no secondary tumours, after having a PET scan.  I think mine was caught early as well.   If my radiotherapy sessions have worked, my Oncologist told me that would give me possibly another 5 years.  I am 84, so I'll go with that !   I am determined to live life as best I can.   I have a husband who has dementia and I have to be positive and keep going for his well-being.  With all my heart I wish you all the best for now.  Catch up with you another time.