I was just reflecting on how good the past week has been and felt so happy I wanted to share it.
I’ve not had any major side effects from hormone therapy yet, just a few minor things here and there. But this week there has been nothing. No night sweat, no headache, stomach cramps, no period or sensitive breasts. No shoulder pain or tingling in my arm.
It’s the first week, that things have felt normal for a long while. I’ve cleaned the house, baked, been shopping (I have anxiety in public places), visited friends, and had guests visit us.
I’ve finally got my Rads appointment which is kind of the final hurdle (except the tablets of course) so I’m seeing that light at the end of tunnel and I want to race to it.
Im sure this will be short lived, but it certainly feels good and has put me in the Christmas spirit. I hope a bit of that “feel good” factor will make its way to all of you x
So lovely to read your positive post. Hopefully this will not be short lived and this is, in fact, you getting back to your normality. I would never have believed this when I was diagnosed earlier this year, but life after cancer can absolutely be normal again. It does not have to be a ‘new normal’ for everyone, it can simply go back to how it was, sometimes even better. I’m living proof of that. I kind of kept waiting for something to come crashing down, or to feel terrible because of medication or whatever else, but it simply hasn’t happened and ten months from diagnosis I’m happy, healthy and loving life. Long may this continue and I hope it is the same for you too.
I think this is important to say. Yes, some of us truly regain ourselves and if anything become better than we were before diagnosis. It doesn’t mean we don’t have emotional things we need to overcome or settle but the physicality of breast cancer doesn’t have to floor you. Many of us do okay and just move on.
I remember the first time I totally felt like me. I’d had normal feeling days but this was the realisation I was back to my old self (well, as much as you can be back to your old self after BC). It was 10 months after my hospital treatment had finished (mastectomy, chemo, rads, biphosphonate tablets for a few months before I changed to 6-monthly infusions). Such a happy, overwhelming and calming feeling. I got quite emotional - then I was sitting in the sun, overlooking the sea at a weekend away with my 2 oldest friends to celebrate our 60ths.
To anyone struggling at what life’s throwing you - you will get back to feeling normal you, or a new version of normal you, one day.
So good to see so many positive posts. There definitely is life after cancer. I have had breast cancer twice with 25 years between the two diagnoses, but I have never let it define me as a person and carry on life as normally as possible. In fact I probably appreciate all the good moments in life more than ever, family get togethers, parties, going to the theatre and the cinema, hiking in the mountains and enjoying all the Christmas and New Year festivities. I live each day to the full and try not to dwell on the past.