Hi everyone
I was diagnosed on 28th May, had WLE on 1st June, then sample lymph node removal on 12th June. Nodes were all clear so I was told I didn’t need chemo. I finished four weeks of inpatient radiotherapy two weeks ago, and started Tamoxifen a month ago.
I’m unsure how I’m supposed to feel now. I am still pretty tired, but my skin has held up well from the radiotherapy. I see my oncologist in six weeks, but feel a bit ‘in limbo’ at the moment. I am really emotional, to the point that I have been referred to a psychologist at the cancer hospital. I think it’s partly because it’s only just sinking now that I have had breast cancer (I can’t even say the word out loud) People keep asking me if I have been given the all clear cos rads have finished, but I don’t really know what to tell them. Do I have to wait until my next mammogram or checkup or am I classed as being in remission yet?
Really grateful for any replies, and good luck to all of you.
Shenagh xx
Hi Shenagh, once you finish “active” treatment you are in weird limbo land,you have spent so long with your head in a spin and taking in the shock of it all and lots of info then you are busy “doing” and recovering from treatment when all that stops it gives you time to think OMG what the hell was all that about !
I felt it was all a totally surreal experince at the time and now I look back at it and wonder where the time has gone,finished my rads in May and it’s only now that am starting to get back to where I was with regards energy levels.
It is a huge thing not just physically but mentally too and it’s a lot to come to terms with.
People just don’t know enough about cancer I have found and make the stupidest remarks,but they just don’t know,they are not the ones that have had to consider 10 year survival stats and they have no idea of the ongoing worry that we all have of re-occurences.It’s something that we have got to get our heads around and cope with it as best we can. I try and not think about it all too much as it will drive me bonkers and my head may well explode ! Lol. I have now developed lymphodema,something that family and friends havn’t even heard of never mind understand,so it’s down to me to educate them.
I think it is great to come on here and let it all out,plenty of us in the same boat. Best wishes to you.
Sandra x
Shenagh - I can identify totally with what you’ve written -and sandra has summed it all up so well. I am about 6 weeks post rads and the first weeks after were weird - I was very emotional and really didn’t know how to feel. I got the impression as Sandra says that people don’t really know what it’s all about and tend to think that because active treatment is over that you are ‘in the clear’…they forget or don’t realise it’s not quite like that and we also have to live with the hormone treatment too for the next 5 years. The really good article by a psychologist is linked to on a current thread (and updated version of his talk) - I have forgotten his name, someone will say it !! anyway, it’s really helpful. xxchipperxx
here’s a link…but I think there is more somewhere…
cancercounselling.org.uk/nor … &Count=500
look on the Dr Peter Harvey’s paper thread in After Treatment has finished topic !