Well I've just had my follow up appointment from RT, was told they where putting me on a 5yr plan which starts of with 4 months check up, so back there in 4 months. Not sure how I'm feeling.
I felt a bit odd when I was told I didnt need anymore treatment and was onto check ups, i felt like I should be really happy but I was just nervous about being left on my own until my check up, I'm on six monthly checks. I hope you can relax and enjoy the break from hospital and worrying for a while.
I came out of my first check up into my car and sat in floods of tears hysterically for about ten minutes, they had told me everything was fine! It's strange what all of this does to your head! It does get better with time, my next appointment in August is my two year check up (supposed to be my last one before I go onto the phone referral system). I don't think I'll like being left to my own devices, I think I'll ask for a check up after a year.
It can be hard after you leave the security blanket of regular hospital visits behind. You feel as though you've been cut loose without a safety net. I didn't feel happy fir quite a while after my post treatment scans. They were great in that they showed no evidence of disease but I was so tired after all the treatment that I felt alternately numb and anxious. I'd lost all confidence in my body. I'm 26 months on from the end of treatment and I've found that it does get better but it takes time. I still get anxious about appointments and whether there'll be a recurrence at any point, but each one means I'm that bit further away from what happened and that bit closer to the magic 5year goal. Please be kind to yourself. Chat away on here if you need to. Seek counselling if you need to. Gradually I hope you'll find the confidence to start planning things to look forward to and that you'll find joy and laughter replacing anxiety and tears. Gentle hugs x
i think the protocols surrounding follow up scans vary from hospital to hospital and area to area. I had a post treatment scan after chemo and another after the radiotherapy was completed. I presumed they were because of the high grade and stage and the fact that there’d been some lymphnode involvement. Both were no evidence of disease. I was told I wouldn’t have any more scans unless I presented with symptoms suggesting a recurrence or symptoms that couldn’t be explained.
So far all my checkups have involved a discussion with the consultant or a member of his team, a chance to ask questions and an internal examination (a quick look round with a speculum and light) and the doc has also felt for any abnormalities inside. They’ve also gently but firmly palpated my stomach and checked all lymphnode sites for any lumps and bumps. It’s all over quite quickly.
I was told I’d have checkups every 3/4 months for 2 yrs then every 6 months for 3 yrs. In practice it’s been more like 4/5 months. The only one that was exactly three months was when a CNS told me I’d been moved to 6 monthly checks but no one had bothered to ask me how i felt so I raised it with the consultant. Since then they’ve been 4/5 months again. My next check up is on Friday and I’m hoping I’ll be promoted to 6 monthly checks then.
I think it’s normal to have mixed feelings about returning to work and picking up the threads of life again. I made a decision to take early retirement - perhaps not the best decision financially but certainly the best for my overall well being. I do some relief admin work at one of the hospices in the city now - it’s very ad hoc and some months they offer me quite a bit of work, others hardly anything and that’s fine because it means I can spend more time being with the people I love and doing the things I enjoy. It’s absolutely fine to not know how you feel about things - you won’t until you start to do things again. Wherever you can do things at your pace and if you get the chance to do new things, whether at work or socially, don’t be afraid to try them out. We discover all sorts of things about ourselves when we go through cancer diagnosis and treatment and it can be a catalyst to make some of the changes you might want to make and to do more of the things you enjoy. Sending you some gentle, reassuring hugs and hoping that your return to work goes well x
I only had surgery and no scans after, my check ups are the same as faircakes, a chat, then the internal and external exam, I've been having some random symptoms so they have asked for me to have a MRI scan before my next appointment in August. I'm glad that they aren't leaving things to chance and checking them out. As far as I'm aware I wouldn't have had any scans if I didn't have symptoms.
Hi arla and Michelle, I’m due a scan next week and then my second six month check in June, I was worried that I was told to have a transvaginal scan cos no one else seems to, I asked my nurse why and she said it is the procedure in this area, so it really does seem different all over doesn’t it, I hope you start to feel better soon Michelle, and arla fab news that you are nearly at your 2 year mark hun xx
Don’t ever give up hope, there are earth Angels all around us and Miracles really do happen xx
Good luck for your appointment Lara, not too long to wait now.
I'm gradually going up the pole with the wait for the scan from February to August, it's like diagnosis all over again, but hopefully with a good result this time
