Psychological crash after surgery and radioactive iodine treatment

I think we all get it...no matter what we are told.  Cancer is cancer and yes we are perhaps in a better position than others but it's all relative.   The main thing is...somehow ...we have to try to keep positive...but even I am continually having to fight and complain in order to make sure I get anywhere...I worry about when people in this position are older and less able to stand up for themselves....

Really sorry to hear you are feeling so low at the moment @Lancelot and hope you can get the support you need.  I just wanted to point out that you are entitled to 6 free sessions of Counselling which MacMillan's can arrange for you if that is something that you think could help.

Thanks, Petall66. Does that also apply to UK nationals living abroad? I’m not in the country at the moment.

Sorry I don't know the answer to that, it is something I have heard mentioned on a Facebook forum and quite a few people have taken up the offer, but not something I have done.  As far as I know the sessions are run by BUPA.

Haha that's a good one about going back to work after 2 weeks and be back to normal. If the doctor would say that to me I would just laugh to his face as it's such a nonsense. 

After TT and left and central neck dissection I was floored for 4 weeks. That means I was on a sofa 24 hours a day with little walk to bathroom. That's it. I went back to work after 7 weeks but now I know it was too early. I wanted to have the time of treatment paid as 100% so counted that it take me about 12 weeks off. Which it did however I wasn't ready to go back.

People who did not experience things like that should nit speculate how good or bad we will be after shattering diagnosis and treatment. 

Very well put IsabellFel.  It's just taken me about a month to start feeling better after only a wisdom tooth extraction!  The total thyroidectomy was a far worse and life changing experience.  Some people have no idea.  They seem to think it's just a little cut on your neck that's healed now!

It’s definitely worth contacting Macmillan to ask about the counselling.  It’s telephone counselling so easily accessible and in my experience it didn’t require much of a wait. 

I had 5 months off work last year.  My diagnosis was in early January and I went off sick immediately as I was so stressed.  The op (tt and neck dissection) wasn’t ‘til mid Feb due to a delay and the iodine was delayed til May due to me getting covid.  My sister in law, an experienced nurse who has herself had cancer, advised me to take the maximum time I could.  Once you have a diagnosis you are covered under the disability legislation and cannot be discriminated against.  Macmillan can advise in moire detail.