Hello everyone
I had WLE in November 07, just finished radiotherapy last week and on Arimidex. Anyone else finding difficulty with coming to terms with this horrible diagnosis. I find it has brought my own mortality to the fore and it depresses me so much.
Any advice on how to cope with the thought of ‘it’ and hanging on for five years and how to put it aside and look forward, which I am not able to do. I live alone and a born worrier so I am not in the best place!
I would be glad to hear from anyone and also if anyone knows of support groups in the south east of London.
Sorry to be so doom and gloom!
Many thanks
Dee
Hi Dee
There are a couple of Breast Cancer Care’s support services that might be of interest to you as they can offer help and support via the telephone.
The first is Breast Cancer Care’s telephone support group. It’s a chance to get together once a week to talk with people who’ve been there. Linked together by phone in comfortable surroundings, you can express your feelings and discuss the practical and emotional impact of living with breast cancer. The groups will be particularly useful for you if you feel isolated. The groups are completely free (we pay for the phone calls) and as long as you have access to a phone and have a quiet private place from which to call, you can join us from anywhere in the UK.
There is also Breast Cancer Care’s peer support service. The telephone service aims to quickly put you in touch with one of our trained peer supporters, who has had a personal experience of breast cancer. Our peer supporters are from diverse backgrounds and ages and have experienced different types of breast cancer and treatments. They are ready to listen, offer skilled emotional support and share their experiences and understanding.
For more information about these and our other support services available to you, please telephone our helpline on 0808 800 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm) or email:
info@breastcancercare.org.uk
Best wishes
Lucy
Hi Dee,
I was diagnosed last summer, I think for most of us it’s a long road to feeling safe. For myself I would liken it to grieving, it takes time to come to terms with, and as you say it does make one so painfully aware of ones own mortality! Accepting that life will never be the same again, grieving for your carefree past, and learning to live with all the possibilities.
It’s been such a short time since your diagnosis, give yourself the time, I’m sure you’ll get there in the end, you’ll find a whole day has passed without your having thought about it…
I hope you can find the support you need, there’s always plenty here!!
Take care of yourself,
Warm hugs,
Sara.
Dear Sara
Thank you so much for responding. If you were diagnosed last summer, you are only a little ahead of me but you seem to be mentally upbeat. How did you come to terms with it. Do you still think about ‘it’ lurking somewhere!
Did you have radiotherapy. I have finished mine two weeks ago tomorrow and feel so tired in fact. exhausted.
Dou you eat dairy foods, drink wine (which we mustn’t!)? Mine is oestrogen postive and so I have to avoid soya, which is in everything!!
Love to hear your views.
Love dee x
Hi Dee iwas diagnosed sept 07 full mast on right side Oct having my 6th chemo on 27th Mar everyone has been delayed because of infection. I got excited this week can you believe as i was being measured for my radiotherapy !!which starts 17th april for 4 weeks i can see the end in sight of chemo and i have been so ill.I have a friend who went thro this 16 years ago this month she was diagnosed and then things were not so positive as they are now, she had small children she looks fantastic and i try to model myself on her positive attitude. I just think i have let my fam9ily down for getting this and putting them through this worry which i know is silly. I know our lives have been changed forever i think i look like quazimodo now my partner says i am not that good looking !!Humour and not beating yourself up are two tips i would give you and although not many of us on this site know each other personally we are all in this together and feel each others pain and frustrations at what life has dealt us but we are still here and where there is life there is hope as they say. I just think i could be in a lot worse position and live in a part of the world where i would not have had any chance.Hope my ramblings have helped, i was treated my a daily district nurse last week who had leukaemia three years ago she was giving me lenagrastim injections she had filigrastim and had to stay in hospital for 6months because of neutrapenia was only allowed out for two weekends had three children. I felt very humbled and honoured to have her treat me, noone ever knows what tomorrow may bring.
Lots of love
Katexxxx
there’s an excellent support group at St Thomas’ hospital on Fridays 11.30 to 1.30 it’s run by Rosemary birch and it’s open access drop in. My hospital was Barts and I used to go. It’s for people who are newly diagnosed or can’t cope with diagnosis.’
Be careful of eating too many biscuits though. there’s also massage available and a kind ear.
I should say it’s in the Richard Dimbleby cancer centre on the second floor. Go left at the main entrance, follow the corridor down. there’s some lifts just before a snack bar. Go up to second floor. RD centre is turn left then on your right