Survivor and delayed grief

Hi Thrishd, I had Breast Cancer in 2008 and was rediagnosed with metestatic cancer in the bones in May 2011, and I am finding it harder to deal with, this time round. I can only say that I find talking about it helps me through, have you anyone close that you can talk to? or call a breast care counsellor and talk to them. I'm lucky my husband has been with me through both diagnosis, so he has seen me at my most vunerable. If you like you can e-mail me anytime through this site if you wish. Are you still on medication? Try and talk to your husband I'm sure he'll undeerstand. Try and keep positive

Hi Maria
Thanks for your response. I had a phone call from one of the cancer care nurses yesterday and I'm going to counselling today. The nurse said that things were like the 'dark ages' in cancer care in 1999,which is not all that long ago. My treatment was drastic at the time and it all happened so quickly, I hardly had time to think about it..... I'm not on any meds or treatment, it's all emotional with me and that's where I feel so distressed.
I hope that you are making progress with your treatment - are you going to the Cancer Suvivorship Conference?
take care of yourself

Hi Trishd.

I understand exactly where you are coming from. I am also new to the site. I am a 39 yr old male and have CML. Diagnosed in November 2009. There is still a lot of fear associated with the “C” word. My family was also the same after the first few months of diagnosis. I am married and like Maria I am lucky that my wife is there to support me. I have changed chemo drugs 5 times and it gets harder to deal with the illness each time.

You are definitely taking the right steps by going to a counselor. I go every time I change Chemo drugs to vent!!! I have also taken a few courses in Cancercare West – Living with cancer, Mindfulness….etc

Another thing that my wife and I do is take small breaks every so often to get away from it all and just chill out and chat. I am not the best at expressing my feelings and us men often do not want to address the elephant in the room due to maybe fear or not knowing how to approach the subject. So as Maria try and talk to your husband and keep positive.

hi everyone this is my first post my first cancer started in 2000 it was thyroid i had treatment and still being checked for that but then in 2003 i had i malignant melanoma removed from my back back then i didnt really know much about it but i do now they told me they would have to do more surgery to see if had spread under the skin it came back that it had,nt the surgeon said that i needed to get my lymph nodes removed but then he rang me back to say he had spoken to a plastic surgeon that said i didnt need to because the thickness wasnt deep enough had ct scan that was ok then we moved back home to the west of ireland and had see the pastic surgeon that said i didnt need my lymph nodes removed at his clinic for 5 years i scan in those 5 years well yhen in 2009 had another maligant melanoma removed from my neck not with the same doctor it came back very small but i asked do i need a ct scan as this was my second melanona and was told no so i was told i would be referred to adermatogist so we did that that took a few weeks i wasnt happy with the other doctor telling me i didnt need a ct scan so i asked the dermatogist and she said yes we would arrange it so i did and luckly we did because a 9mm nodule showed up on my right lung so this was the start of the last 2 years of operations treatment for 13months ct scan pet scan m.r.i scan and other test for lung by a professor who was great and a great dermatologist and great oncologist did i say it was a malignant melanoma and that interferon is a very hard treatment but it can be done when i was in hospital doing my treatment you have to stay in hospital for 1month having treatment from monday to friday and if youre bloods are ok you can go home the weekends i went home twice in the month but what kept me going in hospital was my children had written mom you can do it on the board in my room on the 1st of april i will be off treatment 1year if anyone needs to talk im here .

Hi, I have found our local Cancer Support Centre to be so helpfull you meet some wonderfull people who have been through the mill and they give great advice and support. They offer free treatments like Reflexology Indian Head Massage Relaxation e.t.c.
Its great talking to people who have been through it .
Take Care ceedee

Would love to know where this Cancer Care West is? West coast or West dublin?

I too am on a recurence.

Galway [url:gcs5fjmy]http://www.cancercarewest.ie/[/url:gcs5fjmy]

Inis Aoibhinn Residence
Galway University Hospital
Fax: 091 545 001
Tel: 091 545 000

Cancer Care West Support Centre
72 Seamus Quirke Road
Westside, Galway
Tel: 091 540 040

Hi Trishd, hope you have gotten some of the support you need. You are very good to deal with your fears instead of burying them. I am struggling myself but I found great support in friends and also looking at mindfulness which is about living in the moment. god blessx

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