Need to chat to lower anxiety

Hi Mark767

Welcome to the leukaemia group although sorry for the reason you find yourself here!

I had a different sort of leukaemia as I had ALL (acute Lymphoblastic leukaemia) when I was diagnosed in 2011. You can read my journey here Paul1969 

I did have the "joys" of retuximab after my transplant but have no experience of interfon. I see you have joined the Hairy Cell Leukaemia group and I would suggest posting there as perhaps someone else is having that same treatment. If you click HCL link and then hit the start discussion you can post up in that forum.

Always here just for a chat if it will help!

Hi Paul, many thanks for your reply. I'll post there too. Seems more people in the wider 'leukaemia' community. Finding coping very hard. Always seems to be something to focus my anxiety on over these past months. At the moment, it's treatment. Stress about whether it's working OK. Focusing on what's happening or not with it. Anxiety is part of having what we have and just have to manage it as best we can, however hard it is to do. 

But you've likely read this common worry with others. I'm told it's very common. Natural, I suppose. as we all want treatment to work out and get back to our everyday life. I'm just not that good at anxiety management. But it is a big thing to handle. 

I've read your account of your journey. Thanks for putting it up when you did to share. How are you now? How did you manage any anxiety you had/have?  Any tips which helped you and could help me? Thank you. 

Hi Mark767

I am well now. My immune system is a still slow but it will get there eventually fingers crossed. I just top it up myself with meds.

How did I cope.. well I guess when the going was really tough I just took one day at a time. I didn't look beyond the day I was in. eventually the days became weeks at a time, then months and now I don't really think about my health at all.

I just tried to control the controllable. if it was outside of my control I didn't worry about it and I made sure I just kept positive. I never considered not getting better.. that was never an option. Also I did the things I enjoy, I went to the pub, I went on holidays and had weekends away

Now work full time running my own business and do everything I did before I got ill. There is a normal life at the end of the treatment just focus on that... 

Hi Mark,

Welcome and also sorry you have to be here. Sounds like you've been on a long road. We're here whenever you need to talk or vent.