I finally finished my treatment last December but so far have been unable to find work. But my hair is growing fast and seems even curlier than before, the colour is a bit odd but that can soon be changed! I am still a blob which I am struggling to come to terms with but pray that once my life returns to normal, the weight will sort itself out. I am in training for a 20 mile sponsored walk which I had expected to help the waistline but this does not appear to be the case.
Already the discomfort of my chemo is a distant memory and I am confident and optimistic about my future. I’d got so used to annual check-ups that I keep forgetting that I now have them every 3 months. I have never been prepared to let cancer rule my life. Previously, I had, on occasions, wondered how I would feel if I had to face cancer for a second time. I had expected to crumble but the reverse has been true. Even tho’ the treatment has been harsher, the process has been so much easier. No fear of the unknown this time. When I told my GP(doctor) the news, he said that the reports looked good and the cancer had been caught early so really this was not a major event, more of an inconvenience. Guess what? He was spot on. And now it’s time to forget about it and get back to having fun, bring it on!
Only a person that did not go trought this experience can be so insentive. Because many do not want us to take B.C. for what it is , a deadly cancer, that there is no clear protocol of what works and what dosen't, that there is usually no cure when it comes back ; many patients die.
In the USA is worse, because if one is not insured, is very hard to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.
I am a 12 years survivor, no thanks to my doctors and because of the problems I had, I went into a new career in a Cancer Center.
You may be surprised but I disagree with you. Yes Breast Cancer can be deadly but it needn't be if caught early enough. My doctor's attitude was spot on for me and although he had never met me before, I think he could sense that I didn't want to be a drama queen about it and just wanted to get on with treatment so that I could forget about it and get on with my life. To this end his comment actually filled me with confidence. If he'd gone all dramatic on me, I would have been far more scared.
I am NOT trying to pretend that cancer is no big deal but it doesn't have be a crisis. The more people who take the fear out of cancer, the more likely women (and men) will seek out medical advice sooner and so have a much better prognosis.
He was not insensitive at all, indeed quite the opposite. I'm sorry if this was not clear in my original post.
Sorry, I felt so strongly about your comment that I hadn't memorised it all when I replied first time.
I have now re-read your comment about having cancer a second time and feel very angry with you. You cannot make such a generalised comment. In my case it was another primary, so the outlook for my future is no worse than after the first occurence. Indeed it may even be better than before. Of course things are not so bright for everyone but there are too many factors to take into consideration for each individual for you to be able to make the comment you did.
This is precisely the sort of attitude that I wish I could change. Cancer is not Black and White. And it doesn't have to be a death sentence. You must have had a very bad experience so I sympathise but thankfully I have been very lucky and have had a fantastic consultant to see me through it all.