How do you cope with everyday stress?

I don’t think I have dealt with it well at all, I was diagnosed in September and around the time it comes to tests and scans I convince myself I’m beyond help and they aren’t going to do anything and just leave me.  A lot of the time I’m ok but on off days I listen to music or read or colour in have cuddles with the cats.  We have an 8 year old son who keeps me occupied and is always bugging me to play on the xbox, I try to keep a brave face around him as don’t want to worry him.  I also watch rubbish on tv, at the moment it’s Benidorm and I catch up with my match of the day recordings as I am a massive football fan. My partner, family and friends have all been amazing and my macmillan nurse is brilliant I can call her on my bad days and she will talk to me as long as I need.  I sometimes find it hard because I’m 34 and always being told I’m too young, don’t normally see people my age with this cancer which doesn’t help. X

Hi Rach, bless you - I also don’t feel like I’ve dealt with it well, I’m not sure any of us do. I think we just find our own way of muddling through and keeping going. The fact that you’ve had your op and are already having treatment is an achievement in itself, even though it may not feel like it. Chatting to my CNS the other day she told me many women don’t take those steps. Also that you reach out to your Macmillan nurse is a good thing too, something that some don’t do. 

Colouring sounds a great idea. I’ve seen colouring books for adults and wondered about trying it but haven’t done so yet. What sort of music do you like? And which football team do you support? We’re a Liverpool supporting household here. 

The start of my journey was a bit of a rollercoaster as well which hasn’t helped.  Was told it wouldn’t be there, then told it was and was looking at stage 1-2 then got upped to stage 4 because of 2 pelvic nodes, 1 in my neck and 1 nodule on my lung then after surgery changed to stage 3 and neck and lung have not been mentioned since.  One nurse has told me it’s incurable because it couldn’t all be removed surgically and my oncologist told me at my meeting to talk about chemo she is aiming to get rid of it all so has been very up and down and now I possibly have a fatty lump in my elbow but need an mri because it has atypical features but no one really seems too concerned at the moment.  I love colouring it is quite relaxing, I like a mixture of music mostly rock into my Fleetwood Mac at the moment and some of the singers my grandad used to listen to, slim whitman, connie francies, doris day he loved his country music.  I’m a huge Liverpool fan. X

 Liverpool are the best team  coming from scouser me lol xx

Natalie, my father in law and mother in law were Scousers. Father in law was a Liverpudlian from an Evertonian family, and mother in law was an Evertonian family. So you can imagine what their marriage was like, lol. My husband supports Liverpool and I’ve been with him to Anfield. In 1997 we had to move with his job from the Isle of Wight to the mainland. We were looking at various places for sale in the New Forest area, and he point blank refused to even view any properties in the village of Everton as he said no way was he ever going to have Everton as his address. He also won’t eat Everton toffees. Up till our son was 12 he supported Liverpool but then one day he came and told us he’d decided to support Man U. My husband’s face was a picture. Our son then said “can I have Man U curtains in my bedroom?” His bedroom was at the front of the house. My husband just said No No No NO and then started ranting under his breath. And it was never spoken of again, lol. And within a year our son had reverted to supporting Liverpool.

Brings back memories of my hubby and son were Man U supporters,  my sons besties were Liverpool fans as their dad was Liverrpudlian , our son was around 11/12 when he turned to Liverpool and was a supporter till the end. He got some lovely messages from starplayers and mentioned in one of their programmes books.  Today his 7 year old son is stepping up in  his shoes and will always be LIVERPOOL!

Rach, I was wondering what your favourite Fleetwood Mac tracks are? 

Ooh that’s a good question, everywhere is one I used to listen to when I was little with my mum I used to call it the bell song.  I also some of my favourites are landslide, the chain, Rhiannon, never going back again.  I also like Stevie Nicks solo stuff like edge of seventeen, rooms on fire and I can’t wait. X

Rach, I love Everywhere and used to sing it to my dog! My daughter and I also realised that the beginning of the chorus sounded like our chickens and so whenever I hear it, I hear it in chicken mode! I love Rumours as an album and especially like Go Your Own Way, You Make Loving Fun and Don’t Stop.

Yes the rumours album is a great album, probably the best one they have done