Cancer is something that other people get,not people like me,right!!.I was 61 when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and you could of knocked me down with a feather.
I didn’t realise how much family and loved ones would be affected by my diagnosis,but mainly surprised by how calm I would be,yes I had times I was thinking about writing my will,and every lump or illness I felt meant it had got worse. But if course it hasn’t,2 years ago I was put on watch and wait with at first 3 months blood test and phone consultation then that changed to every 6 months I have a lot of health issues that I have learned to live with and guess this is just another one of those. I have since diagnoses become a granny twice with another two on the way. We all know what I’m living with,we just don’t talk about it much,my grandchildren are keeping me going
Hi @Spaceshopper61 it is great to hear from you again and I was very struck by your post.
Wow, what a difference in a year or so to your perceptions and I hope others will be equally struck.
So you have become a granny twice with 2 more on the way, congratulations, what a joy.
I cannot thank you enough for thinking of and taking the time to write your post.
Please do keep posting how you are.
Really look after yourself
Hi there, I too was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) 5 yrs ago and unfortunately it had spread quite far I was graded as a stage 3/4. I had the same calmness initially but have obviously had some very low points since. I have had chemo twice 18 mths apart and my 2nd course finished a year ago next month
I’m feeling much better now and hopefully will continue to for a long time to come but you still, as you say, worry about lumps and bumps I don’t think that will ever go away. My concern is my constant fatigue, I do still work but only part-time now and I also suffer from a lot of memory issues.
I have also become a Nanny for the first time and it’s amazing life is so different it gives you something else to focus on.
I wish you all the best for a long and healthy future
I am sorry to hear what you have been going through,I do know it will catch up with me at some point,but I try and not dwell on that. My grandkids are the world to me and give me strength to carry on. I also have trouble with fatigue and have to cut back on my hours,but I will keep working as long as I can. I wish you strength and healthy future.x
Hi @salpp a great big welcome to our forum, I wish you had found us sooner.
Yes, @salpp and @Spaceshopper61 grandchildren must be the greatest diversion of all, my thoughts and emotions have been all over the place since I was diagnosed.
I realise there is a financial implication but sometimes cutting back on your work hours can help with managing our fatigue, I was lucky as I was fairly near retirement and I had a lot of accrued leave to use up taking it in half days etc.
Be very kind to yourselves
Thank you for your kind words I also wish you a happy and healthy future.
It’s nice to speak to someone else who understands all the feelings that we have to work through and as lovely as people can be they can never understand fully how it affects us all. I think one of the worst things for me is the uncertainty of the future which you can’t always express especially to those closest to you. So as I said it’s good to have others who understand x
Hi @salpp you raise the uncertainty of our futures.
Before my diagnosis I went through life on autopilot thinking that I had my life mapped out in front of me, but actually I didn’t and nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.
We just realise that because of our diagnosis and that has given me the opportunity personally to re-assess my life and decide what I want to do and with whom and to make the most of every day.
This has taken a long time for me to think like this.
If I tried to talk about my fears to family and friends they would try and make me feel better, which personally would make me angry and un-listened too.
We are here for you and we understand it is a scary (and often very lonely) place for us.
This is my personal opinion and others might think very differently.
Thank goodness for our forum. xx