Hi I’m new to the forum, thank you for adding me.
I was diagnosed with dcis late summer and had surgery in the autumn then radiotherapy at the end of November. My breast is still very tender, lumpy and the nerve pain comes and goes. Since I’ve finished treatment I have felt so emotional and keep processing everything. Maybe it’s hit me now as you don’t have chance when you are going through it.
I have been lucky as they caught it so early on with my routine mammogram but I just feel I can’t shake it off. Is this how other people feel once treatment is finished?
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Hi Molly-me,
From my own experience I think how you’re feeling is perfectly normal. I had some counselling during my treatment and was made aware that I might experience some of the feelings you describe once active treatment stopped. You’ve been through a lot- and are still going through it, processing it. I’m 3 years past treatment (although drugs for another 7) and have good periods but still some ‘wobbles’. A friend who has had breast cancer many years ago reassures me that it gets less ‘the further you move away from it’, so here’s hoping for all of us 
.
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Thank you. It’s hard cause your friends and family don’t understand to a certain degree they think now get on with life which I am doing but i don’t feel like my bubbly self.
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Give yourself some time @molly-me. It’s actually only a few weeks since you had surgery and rads, now is the time you start to process the “what the hell just happened” stuff. It takes time. It’s irrelevant that you had a DCIS - you had a traumatic shock and you have had stuff cut out of you - of course it will take time to come to terms with the fact that we never know what life is going to chuck at us and test us with. I’m over two years away from active treatment for an IDC and DCIS and, to be honest, it’s only been within the last 3-4 months that I can put it into some sort of perspective. So it will happen for you and that bubbly personality will come to the fore again, you just need a bit of time and space to make sense of these past few months. Happy New Year to you.
PS the family and friends who don’t get it, probably never will until life throws them a health curveball. You can bet your bottom dollar that, sooner or later, some of them will be in a situation in which your current experience will make your counsel very valuable.
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Thank you. I thought it would be back to normal life but obviously it isn’t but it’s good to hear from someone else who’s been through it and understands. 
Hi molly-me, sorry to read how you are feeling. I do think it is quite normal though. I had my diagnosis after first routine mammogram, so it was found at early stage. Lumpectomy in april 2023 followed by radiotherapy. I was in tears after my last radiotherapy session as I had a year before my next follow up. I felt nobody was looking after me and left to get on with it. My friends and family were so supportive through treatment and kept asking how i was and offering help. This has stopped over the past number of months. They seem to change subject anytime I bring it up. It is as though they reckon treatment over forget about it and move on. It does make me feel down at times too. The year between follow ups is a long time and you do worry during this time. Hopefully this will get easier as they years go on. Hope you feel better soon. Take care
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Thank you so much for this as this is exactly how I’m feeling. Feel like I’m just left to get on with it. I’ve noticed the difference with friends too as soon as the treatment finished they stopped checking in on me so much. They don’t understand cause it’s not happened to them. Hopefully it’ll get easier. I hope it gets easier for you. Take care too!