How long
How long Hi all
Can anyone whos been through all the treatment tell me how long it was before you started feeling any improvement , my wife finished her rads in March and has slowly been feeling worse since , none of the treatments seem to help , she does smoke do you think that may contribute to this , she crys every day and thats just not like her and i know she has started thinking morbid thoughts which is deffo not like her .
Thanx
Tim
Hi Tim
Radiotherapy is very draining, though I would have thought your wife would be feeling better by now. It sounds to me that she could be depressed, so perhaps a trip to your GP might be in order.
If you could convince her to give up the ciggies, I’m sure that would help. After a diagnosis of bc, we need to keep the old body in the best condition possible.
Mcgle
hello Tim
sorry to here your wife is still feeling poorly did she have any other treatment other than rads ,i had 15 sess rads that finished end of feb and apart from the usual aches and pains that go with having a mastectomy every thing seems ok the only thing i was concerned about was my asthma after the rads but i have that under control now ,
i think it may be wise to get her to talk to someone about her fears
and perhaps help her cut down on her smoking i know its hard but it would help her .hope thing sort themselves out for you and your wife
Dawn x
Hello My mum finished her rads in November last year (after having chemo) even though her prognosis is good she finds it even now very difficult to cope with and often feels under the weather and depressed, which is out of character.
She has seen several different Drs before finding one who would actually help, she is now on mild antidepressants (which she was very hesitant to take) and although she is not back to ‘normal’ she is loads better and has just recieved(after a two month wait) an appointment to see a councilor(sorry cant spell) who is especially trained in this area, she has good days and days where she doesnt want to see anyone, which although is very difficult for her, its also no fun for my dad, apparently all of this is normal and hopefully will get better, the trouble is, for those of us who havent been in their situation its extremely difficult to understand, all we can do is be there and listen and give those all important hugs and words of encouragement and try to be as surportive as we can even though it is sometimes very difficult.
Thinking of you
Mel
Tim,
I finsihed rads in June after mastectomy and chemo and am now feeling much better physically… However I find life difficult to cope with. Everyone treats me as if I’m normal and I don’t feel I am. It’s a combination of the shock at what you’ve been through and the living with uncertainty that you have to come to terms with I think.
In the end I picked up the phone to talk to Breast cancer care cousellors. This is so unlike me. Unfortunately I could never get through and didn’t feel like leaving a message. Instead I called Macmillans who offer a similar service. The lady was so reassuring that is is completley normal. After that I decided I needed more help and organised some counselling sessionswith the Cancer Counselling Trust. They are in London but if (like me) you live too far away they arrange it over the phone. I’ve only had one so far but it has helped a great deal. Even knowing that I made the appointment felt good - like getting some control back again.
Like I say I have never in my life got involved in anytjing like counselling and it was difficult to pick up the phone. It might be an alternative to anti-depressants?
The service is free although they ask you to make a donation if you can afford it. Fair enough.
For Judie63 Hi Judie,
After reading your post I was very sorry that you were unable to contact our counselling service at BCC due to the telephone not being answered by anyone in person. On behalf of BCC I apologise that there was no one there to help you when you needed it. I will ensure that the relevant people are made aware of the problem you encountered.
I am glad that you were able to find suitable counselling and hope that it helps you overcome your difficulties.
With best wishes
BCC Host
It sounds as though your wife is severely depressed. Having talked with some of my friends who have all completed treatment many people have found a real dip when treatment has finished. I think that you concentrate and use your energy getting through the treatment and then after you are expected to pick up life where you left off and its incredibly hard and isolating irrespective of what support you have around you.
Do take her to see the gp, anti depressants/counselling may be helpful. Was she treated at the Marsden? Counselling can be accessed through the breast care nurses there which may be quicker . I wouldn’t put any pressure on her to stop smoking at present , as although not the best for her health is probably a support for her at the moment.
Look after yourself as well, it can be incredibly draining for a carer no matter how much you love the other person. Good LUCK!