Struggling with life in general after the cancer

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Hi everyone. I haven’t posted for a long time. But because you all have been through something similar I’m hoping you can relate. I had my cancer 4 years ago. Seminoma that spread to lymph nodes in my abdomen.I had 3 x BEP. Since then I have struggled with work. I’m an Electrician and I mostly work on contstructuon sites around the country. Before I was I’ll I was a site supervisor but I also worked on the tools. Since being I’ll I’m not the same. I can’t cope at work. I can’t handle stress. I get anxiety and stressed easier, I have panic attacks. I had to leave my job after things went bad and then got another job. I also had a bad experience there too. I could not cope and ended up having my contract terminated. I get lack of focus, low mood, anxiety, depression, fear of everything and obsessive thoughts. I don’t know what to do about work because I don’t think I can cope with working away from home all the time. So I don’t know if I should look for an easier job. But also an easier job is going to pay less. Then I’ll stress about money. I just seem to have no bounce. No urgency in myself. I’ve lost something within. I’m having panic attacks just looking for jobs. I have absolutely no confidence and all I keep thinking is, whatever job I go to, I’m just going to make a huge mess of it because I won’t cope. I’ve always had anxiety all my life. But before the cancer I would just get on with things and not let it stop me. Now I have lost that. I dod have low testosterone for a while and I managed to get it to rise naturally with a better diet and better sleep habits. But I struggle to maintain this. Any advice would be appreciated. I don’t know if I should battle on and look for another job doing the same thing or if I should try and come to terms with the fact that it’s not for me anymore.  Or am I just giving up? I really don’t know. 

    • Hello mate. I’m doing much better now. It’s all about looking after yourself mate. And being disciplined.  Find  the most stress free way of earning your money and do it that way. For me it’s being a Subby. I turn up every day. Get told what to do. Leave when I like, do what hours I like. And if I don’t like the job I move on. No supervisor roles. Just on the tools. And I make sure I sleep enough and don’t each hardly any sugar. Or refined carbs. So so bad for you it’s unreal. And they have so much of an impact on how you feel. In an ideal world I would only eat what grows out the ground. But saying that, cutting out the sugar has been a  life changer. Your testosterone levels will plummet if you drink or eat sugar. And also if you don’t get enough sleep. I’m a big believer that lifestyle has such a huge impact in getting cancer in the first place. Especially if we are too stressed like I was all the time. It’s our bodies way of saying that we need to change how we live. Hope that helps. Fingers crossed 

    Tony Soprano

    Classical Seminoma, initially stage one.

    Oncologist initially  unclear if elevated lymph node is due to cancer. bumped up to stage two B after CT scan 3 months later. Further spread to 2 lymph nodes and increase in size.

    Undergone 3 cycles of BEP at Derby Teaching Hospital and had the all clear on 9/2/17

    Now on ten years of surveillance 

  • Sort for the late reply. But I’m much better now. I’ve just tried to look after myself better. I’ve replied to someone else below. If you read that it will explain it. 
    kind Regards 

    Tony Soprano

    Classical Seminoma, initially stage one.

    Oncologist initially  unclear if elevated lymph node is due to cancer. bumped up to stage two B after CT scan 3 months later. Further spread to 2 lymph nodes and increase in size.

    Undergone 3 cycles of BEP at Derby Teaching Hospital and had the all clear on 9/2/17

    Now on ten years of surveillance