Feeling depressed

I think my life will never be the same again

Hi Mollysue

Are you worried you'll never be the same again because of the hysterectomy or the cancer? 

Well I suppose I'm scarded of the hysterectomy but know it has to be done and then thr cancer itself 

will I ever be normal again 

and if I'll be ok 

I find it hard to speak to my daughter and hubby really 

I see you can apply for a buddy on here 

Hi mollysue

I think after a cancer diagnosis life is going to be different for everyone. The hysterectomy is obviously taking part of you away and the thought of that can be really hard. The cancer diagnosis itself is scary I know at times I feel out of control because no one can predict the future and that in itself is frightening. Try to take one day at a time as you get used to your diagnosis I know how hard it is but you will get through this.

Linda xxx

I had a laparoscopic robot assisted total hysterectomy in October and, other than the frustration of not being able to physically do more, I have recovered physically. I am a solo foster carer for. 5 year old so did need to ask people to help, I found this hard. I also felt quite isolated (and continue to feel as such but have other complications to be honest and am not sure how much of it was related to the cancer). 

Feel free to ask anything you want. 

I have a hubby and daughter but they don't say alot to me really about it all 

daughter too busy with full time job and 3 kids 

I'm 67 so just hope I get better after recovery and back to my self again if I can 

The Macmillan phone support line on 0808 808 00 00 Is open 8am-8pm 7 days a week. If you’re quick you could give them a call tonight. They’re lovely.

Hi mollysue

I am sorry you are feeling depressed and anxious about the cancer and hysterectomy. 

Well done for coming on here and talking about how you feel. It is very normal to feel overwhelmed when facing something as big as a cancer diagnosis and you are not alone. 

Talking about the practical things like preparing for the surgery and what to wear etc will probably help and you have done that so well done. Is there anything in particular about having the hysterectomy that you are worrying about?

When I had mine it was my first operation other than having wisdom teeth out so I was like you very anxious, but I tried to focus on it being a good thing as it was removing the cancer. It really was a lot more straight forward than I thought it would be and to be honest I surprised myself at how quickly I was able to recover. 

Talking to your CNS is a really good idea and also continue to post on here if it helps. The Support Line is really good and talking things through on there may help. The number is below and they are there from 8am-8pm daily. If picking up the phone feels hard then there is an online chat option. 

I will pop a link with some info that may help.

Help with how you're feeling | Macmillan Cancer Support

There is info on counselling, Macmillan buddies and other ways in which you can get support. 

Another thing you could do is to contact your own GP to talk about how you are feeling. If your anxiety is affecting your sleeping, eating and you are really tearful there maybe something they can offer to help. At my GP there are people that you can go in to speak to for emotional and practical support. 

Sometimes it is hard to talk to those closest as we don't want to worry them or feel a burden when they have busy lives- but if you do feel able to give the Support Line a call they will be able to have a look and see if there is any support local to you. 

Hope this helps a bit

Jane

Thanks Jane 

trying to be positive 

im fortunate I have hubby retired at home to help he has had bladder cancer 7 years ago and understands  

surgery - very scared but been  under before for polpys and I know you then seems secs  and its over 

After worried  if the grade will change and I've been told no chemo by gyno as stage 1a grade 1 but maybe radiation.  so all positive so far 

I will call the buddy too to see if anyone locally to me 

thanks you  for your kind words xx 

Hi mollysue

With the surgery it is understandable to be worried but the vast majority of ladies on here seem to get through it without any major issues. Yes there can be a bit of discomfort for some ladies, there can be some wind issues, bowels take a while and you will need to rest to recover but most ladies seem to do very well. They will support you in your recovery and my CNS team could not have been kinder. The relief you will hopefully feel once the cancer is removed will hopefully make this anxiety feel worth it. And remember although the surgery is a massive thing for us, it really is very routine for the surgeons who do this all day every day. I was second on the list and my surgeon did several ladies that week. During surgery there will be your surgeons team, anaesthetic team, nurse team and also HCA's who will be taking good care of you and monitoring you throughout. 

I think that we all worry about grade and stage and it is really hard for them to predict who will and who will not need further treatment from the biopsy and scans alone. Grades and stages can change after the post op pathology but usually the doctors can make a good provisional assessment. Which in your case is the best possible. Grade 1a means the cancer is very small and is less than 50% invasion into the wall of the womb. Grade 1 means that the cells look very similar to normal cells and there is slight changes. When they do the post op pathology it is the chance for them to look more in depth at the cancer and get the vital more details. 

It is natural to be worried about radiotherapy and chemotherapy. And if you did turn out to need either then it will be a discussion between you and your consultant and it will be a recommendation to what they feel would be best. I was not expected to need either treatment post op but when they looked in detail at my results, even though I was early stage it was advised to mop up any stray cells that may have got out. 

I went ahead and had both treatments. They were not easy at times but were both doable and will significantly reduce my chances of the cancer returning. It still could, as any cancer can, but I know that I have done everything possible to reduce that chance. 

How I managed to begin with was to focus on one step at a time. The surgery is the first step and worrying about what may happen afterwards will not unfortunately change the outcome. My CNS advised this, she said, just be aware that some people may have further treatment but focus on one thing at a time otherwise it can feel overwhelming.

Even people with similar stages and grades can be offered different treatments. It depends on the hospital, the stage, grade, type of womb cancer (there are different types) and whether there is any LVSI. (Invasion into lymph/blood) They will look at you as a whole person, all your medical details, the cancer details and what is right for you. At the moment try to focus on the surgery and getting over that and hopefully you will get some positive results post surgery.

Jane