| Scanxiety - Non football 21:09 - Oct 31 with 2887 views | Hooping_Mad |
As a cancer survivor I have to go for regular scans after finishing my last round of chemo. Every 6 months the anxiety rollercoaster begins, been very lucky for 2 and a half years till this afternoon.
As some of you may be know 'regular consultations with oncology specialists' Post-Covid consist of a phone call once every six months. With a Nurse. 40 miles away.
We go through the same dance each time, she has next to nothing to tell me beyond my bloodwork is pointless as I have Arthritis so bad they can't read my blood for cancer markers, In essence CT scans are all they can look at to see what happening in my case. It takes 5 to 10 minutes every time and it's like pulling teeth.
So this time they can see something on the scan, "need to see you in the next 6 weeks". Bollocks.
Safe to say I'm at a fairly low curve on the ride, it will pass I don't tend to get overly maudling or depressed but please forgive me if I'm a little sharper than usual for a while.
If anyone has a similar experience and doesn't want to post here I'd appreciate some perspective so feel free to PM me if anyone wants to.
Wouldn't mind a performance from my Team at the weekend to be honest. [Post edited 31 Oct 2023 21:10]
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 21:16 - Oct 31 with 2837 views | ted_hendrix |
Keep your chin up Mate as best you can and keep punching back. |  |
| My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic. |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 21:20 - Oct 31 with 2827 views | Hooping_Mad |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 21:16 - Oct 31 by ted_hendrix |
Keep your chin up Mate as best you can and keep punching back. |
Thanks Ted | |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 22:12 - Oct 31 with 2703 views | bosh67 |
Do you have a cancer counsellor to talk with?
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/emotional-h
Helped my mum big time through her cancer.
As Ted said, keep your chin up. You can win the battles if you're mind is strong and you need help and someone to talk to to do so. Plus you have to get better so you can suffer like the rest of us watching this lot! |  |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 23:12 - Oct 31 with 2624 views | Hooping_Mad |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 22:12 - Oct 31 by bosh67 |
Do you have a cancer counsellor to talk with?
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/emotional-h
Helped my mum big time through her cancer.
As Ted said, keep your chin up. You can win the battles if you're mind is strong and you need help and someone to talk to to do so. Plus you have to get better so you can suffer like the rest of us watching this lot! |
Tracey, was my Macmillan Nurse. She did her best but she was in a tough position, Lockdown, so couldn't visit wards, I had testicular cancer and thought it strange that a female be assigned to be around the few times I spoke to a consultant with wife in tow. I wondered how many women with cervical or breast cancers have to discuss reproductive health issues with someone of the opposite sex in front of their partner. I'm still no closer to deciding if there's a double standard there for both of us to be honest. Probably is.
I had about 20 minutes facetime in total over 6 months, everyone else I know says Macmillan were great with them before covid so no blame just timing.
Slightly bizarrely, I did get a box of hand cream and lip balm from Macmillan.
I've found throughout my journey that the people who actually delivered the care and treatment are were by far the best people to listen too, they have a far closer connection to their patients and loads of experience, "bed by the window love? extra blanket?" Angels. In fact it was quite a strange time for staff and patients as I had my Chemo at the height of lockdown and no patients were allowed a relative or any kind of visitors and Macmillan weren't doing their rounds for obvious reasons so the dispensing nurses kept us sane and gave us all much needed perspective on our situations.
Very often other patients would give you a heads up what was in store, they were usually right as well.
Honestly Bosh, I think Being QPR has toughened my skin so thick it would make a rhino's arse look like tissue paper by comparison.
3 points on Saturday wouldn't hurt.
Thanks for your advice mate, hope your mum is doing well. | |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 23:19 - Oct 31 with 2607 views | CLAREMAN1995 |
Just want to add my voice to the good folks on LFW wishing you the best there Hooping Mad keep those positive vibes coming .
Saturday is a new day for QPR I am looking forward to it already so relax ,put your feet up enjoy it and hopefully the start of good news for us and you going forward . |  | | |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 00:14 - Nov 1 with 2540 views | essextaxiboy |
Thinking of you Hooping , You got through the treatment before, you can go again .
Hopefully the Rs can be a pleasant distraction
ETB [Post edited 1 Nov 2023 0:16]
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 07:06 - Nov 1 with 2406 views | BrianMcCarthy |
Sorry to hear this, Hooping.
Quite a few close friends have been down your path, including one very good friend who's fighting cancer right now. It always strikes me as a path with many turns on it. Best advice I can offer is that the news changes very often and the next scan might show only a miniscule growth that might only need tablets.
Easy for me to say but try not to read too much into your latest news until you have the scan results, and remember that the health professionals have to follow procedures. Try not to imagine the worst and, if it were me, I'd go away for a few days for a nice break, visit some friends and spoil myself between here and the scan.
All the best. |  |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 07:57 - Nov 1 with 2362 views | nix |
Sorry to hear you're going through this Hooping. I've got a friend with cancer at the moment and it's an awful kind of rollercoaster.
I know what you mean about getting a straight answer and having someone spend a bit of time explaining things, it must be infuriating. I don't know why they don't give you a nurse of the same sex, I can see why that would help. Could you ask for this next time? They might say it's not possible because there are fewer male nurses and I must say I have seen hardly any working in these kind of follow up clinics. There could well be a double standard here which is not fair at all.
Hopefully QPR will pull something out of the bag which will cheer you up a bit. Take good care. |  | | |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 08:13 - Nov 1 with 2334 views | CiderwithRsie |
Very best wishes, Hopping, and thanks from me for giving me a bit of perspective. | | | |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 08:49 - Nov 1 with 2282 views | Harbour |
Hope you get the treatment you need. I found if you can try and stay positive and focus on different things it helps with the anxiety Not easy I know. I have been through the 3 month 6 months and now on the yearly cancer checks it is nerve wracking leading up to a scan.. I have used rangers as a distraction tactic…sending best wishes to you. | | | |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 08:52 - Nov 1 with 2281 views | slmrstid |
My Dad is going through cancer treatment with his bowel at the moment. Been ongoing for about a year with the hope of an operation to remove a tumor early next year but still nothing concrete. I've seen first hand the mood swings the anxiety causes. Generally when we're together I do my best just to keep things normal - he has all the discussions with my step-mum and whilst I don't mind talking about it at the same time I don't think he wants it to be constant, which is understandable.
Wishing you the very best mate, continue battling and I hope you carry on kicking its butt. |  | | |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 09:48 - Nov 1 with 2224 views | R_from_afar |
That sounds really tough, you're in my thoughts and prayers.
Coincidentally, my wife's position - as a pharmacist - was initially funded by Macmillan, before it became an NHS funded post. Thank goodness that people feel the calling to work in healthcare  |  |
| "Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1." |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 10:36 - Nov 1 with 2175 views | terryb |
I'm so sorry to read this Hooping Mad.
The only "help" I can give is to wish you all the best & hopefully you will have six weeks of worrying about nothing.
Feel free to vent your frustrations out on us (although I can only really speak for myself). This message board has a great record for supporting those with physical or mental problems & long may that continue. [Post edited 1 Nov 2023 10:59]
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 10:42 - Nov 1 with 2168 views | TheChef |
Wishing you all the best HM.
Given the chances of getting cancer and family members having it (my dad died from it) I'm always at concerned at the back of my mind I will get it at some point. Although I'm very much keen to avoid chemo and look at alternative treatments if/when it happens - having seen my dad go through chemo treatment I do wonder if that killed him more than the disease. |  |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 11:10 - Nov 1 with 2137 views | BostonR |
This post really resonates with me.
I was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in August 22. A complete shock,as I had no symptoms and I am a fit and healthy 62yr old. I thought how could this be happening!
I underwent robotic surgery to have my tumour removed, along with a large part of my bowel. My diagnosis after surgery was very good and I was advised not to have follow up treatments, but to go into the 5yr surveillance programme.
This entails scans, bloods and colonoscopies, on a regular basis. Whilst the follow ups are stressful, I am grateful that I am being checked and to-date, I have had no cancer re-occurrence.
I did suffer terribly with my mental health and was eventually diagnosed with PTSD. Thank goodness my family spotted my behaviours and had that tough conversation with me.
I am grateful for the intervention of the staff at Macmillan and a specialist trauma counsellor who were all amazing. I want to be honest and say that I was a person who saw mental health excuses as a weakness-until it got hold of me.
For those affected, a cancer journey is very personal, stressful and can pick away at your hidden weaknesses.
From the surgical team who operated on me, the amazing nurses and the counsellors, all I can say is how amazing they were. There are some fantastic and truly dedicated people out there supporting cancer patients 24/7.
I am grateful for everything they’ve done for to-date and in the future. |  | | |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 11:27 - Nov 1 with 2117 views | mart_Goblin |
Sorry to read this and all the best to you and all who have to go on this nasty journey . |  | | |
| Scanxiety - Non football on 22:52 - Nov 1 with 1950 views | Hooping_Mad |
Thank you to everyone, I hopped on at lunchtime and had to take a minute. Blown away by your responses. I needed some perspective and am genuinely grateful to you for sharing your advice and your experiences with me. Deepest respects to all who have lost loved ones fighting this.
BostonR - Glad to hear that you are healthy and on the up, I can relate to the disease getting hold of your physical and mental health. I had one very bad day during the first couple of rounds, a low point, after that it was my wife and children helped me get through but also good news/bad news falling in the right place at the right time too.
I'm honestly in awe at what you've come through, stay strong and enjoy all the time you've fought for.
It's easy to forget the effect it has on mental health for family members, my dad had cancer when I was a teenager and it can be very hard balancing what they know and how they find out.
Thank god so many good people go into health care professions we are fortunate to have them all. If you have friends and family in the fight, best wishes to them and also you. | |
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| Scanxiety - Non football on 00:21 - Nov 2 with 1896 views | PunteR |
I've never dealt with cancer myself but it unfortunately looms over my 15 year old who, as some of you already know, deals with quite a serious condition which has links to cancer. Calcitonin levels are really low atm and just monitoring him which is good. He's never had to go through chemo but undergo's plenty of operations, blood test, consultations.
The only advice I can add is be patient, positive and talk as openly as you can about it. Don't suffer on your own mate.
All the best . |  |
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