I finished my chemo in January then had 4 weeks or rads which finished a month ago. I returned to work 2 weeks ago on a phased return but have now caught a horrible cold and just can’t cope! I feel like it’s the end of the world & am much more miserable than I ever was during my treatment. I’m all panicky and fearful thinking the cancer’s coming back and those emotions are manifesting themselves in ANGER! Has anyone else feeling like this? Any tips?
Hi Mazg,
I have put for you below the link to a couple of BCC’s publications you might find helpful. If you need to talk to anyone please don’t hesitate to contact our helpline, the staff are here to support you. 0808 800 6000 calls are free.
Take care,
Jo, Facilitator
Hi…I finished treatment almost 12 months ago and every small illness I get I think that my gremlin has moved back in!!!..apparently…according to my GP…this is quite common and considering what we have been through it’s no wonder we’re a bit twitchy!!..I hurt my ribs in Dec and convinced myself that it was back…just ligament damage but it was quite scary…after nearly a year I still don’t trust my body not to betray me again but try to think of the positive…I’ve had my chemo, take the dreaded tamoxifen…put up with all the se’s and just try to get on with the rest of my life…flushing gently as I go…hang on in there it does get better…
Hi, I finished my treatment last august (mast, chemo, rads) then I had an accident and had to have surgery to my hand, on “good side”. I think that sometimes its a case of the straw that broke the camels back, it was for me. You get yourself through all the awful treatment, then end up with something that in a previous life wouldn’t affect you at all. I can emphasize with you, I think that its hard to cope anyway when your treatment finishes, people expect you to be normal again, but we’ve basically been to hell and back. I hope you can get through this, and no you’re certainly not alone with the way you feel. Take care.
Hi Mazg…echo your feelings and other posts…9 months post treatment, and just starting to trust my body again…although usually involves giving myself a stern talking to!!! Article below is very interesting…x
Thanks Maryland for the article link. Its brilliant and so true
That’s a great article - comforting to see everything I’m feeling articulated so clearly. Thank you!
Thank you Maryland.
Ive been trying to get things in perspective since finishing treatment late last year. The article has helped me feel much better about the emotions that have followed since. It’s a big step forward…
Thank you Maryland for this article, my feelings put so eloquently. I finished my rad last June, then in December developed Shingles which lasted through to April. Distressing in that I was positive throughout the surgery and rads, my cupboards were full of good nutritional never seen before food, and I spent a small fortune on supplements. Since April I’ve had a Bladder Infection and got through a vomiting virus. From being somebody who never caught a cold to feeling utterly drained in six months is a blow to the confidence. I can so emphasize with you, but please know that you are not alone with how you feel.
Hi everyone, I’m with all of you on this. 4 weeks post rads and hoping to get life back to the new normal and back to hospital for blood tests today to try and find out why I am feeling so poorly. Antibios prescribed for bladder infection. Hope nothing else shows up in blood results. Such a long and winding road…
Hi Southcoastbeachgirl (Brighton, judging by the beach stones?!). Please give your body time to heal (don’t forget you have been cut open, nasty chemicals put into your body and then zapped on the rad table for a few weeks). I also had blood tests for anaemia, etc as I didn’t feel great at all physically, and kept telling myself to “get over it”. Also recently had antibios for a bladder infection. I’ve now learnt to listen to my body, if I feel I want to sleep most of Sunday then I do. Please remember we are all individual in our healing; we all have different support systems and situations in which to get better so please don’t be too hard on yourself.
Hi Ladies, I finished my Rads on 3rd July last year so Im just a week short of a year clear of this awfull desease. Imagine my horror when a week ago Friday I was at work when I started to notice that my breast was rather itchy and uncomfortable. I went to the staff room to investigate and found that the whole of my breast was turning bright red! I rang my GPs surgery straight away but there were no appointments left, so I asked if there was someone I could talk to. After explaining that Id had BC the recptionist said that she would get my GP to phone me as soon as she finished her surgery which she did. She told me to come and see her straight away.
My GP took one look at my breast and which by now was extremely red and very warm and prescribed Penicillin. She said the Penicillin would take 48 hours to kick in but if there was no significant improvement buy Monday morning, and she said when I say significant I mean not just “I think its getting better” ring your BC care nurse.
By the time Id been up to the local Tesco and waited around for 20 minutes I was feeling really cold and shivery. When I got home and took my temp it was 38c. Well by Monday there was a little improvement but not significant so I rang my BC nurse and by 11.30 I was in seeing her. Her immediate reaction was...Have you got an implant in there? which I havnt. She said that she thought I should have it looked at and made me an appointment for Wednesday in outpatients dept.
Wednesday the redness was starting to fade but was still quite noticable. The Doctor that saw me gave me a thorough examination and went off scatching his head…and came back after a while with my Surgeon no less. He took one look and said that looks like it could be Duct Ectasia. He explained that in a normal breast you would just get a little irritation and possibly a discharge through the nipple but because I have had RADs on the breast the fluid which is toxic couldnt get away so caused an infection. He said to finish the course of Penicillin and have a week for it to clear and see him in 2 weeks time......"unless it turns into a bolisha beacon in the meantime" was his departing comment! The Penicillin has done its job. I just hope it dosnt flare up again…it scared the life out of me!
Thanks for encouragement Libranlady. Had 2 trips to docs last week and it turned out that first antibios not having any effect on infection. Now 3 days into 2nd lot and still feeling quite poorly. Docs now doing further tests. Am laying low at home and desperate to start feeling better.
Can see from RaRa and everyone else that we are more likely to suffer from infections in all sorts of ways. Hoping that things get better in next few days. And good luck to you RaRa. Hope you are feeling lots better soon. Sounds scarey! I think it’s just the length of time recovery takes… I used to dash about in a very busy job and now life is on hold. Thank goodness for Wimbledon!
Btw Libranlady- Well spotted re pebbles! V near Brighton