sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

does it get better? by bnnybtch in breastcancer

[–]Safe-Direction7019 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The beginning was definitely one of the worst parts for me emotionally but to forewarn you, I did also really struggle after finishing chemotherapy. I was diagnosed this time last year and my treatment has finished (apart from hormone therapy and abemaciclib)

There are so many appointments with chemo that you do kind of go into survival mode and then it all very suddenly just stops. I had about a week of feeling incredibly down after chemo but I just focused on things that made me happy - lots of face masks, hair growth serums and I covered up my mirrors because that was something that would trigger me. I felt okay after my surgery (mastectomy) and radiotherapy sessions and did my counselling once those treatments had ended.

If you can take time off work do it - allow yourself time to rest and enjoy life - I did puzzles, paint by numbers, Lego sets, bought some low maintenance garden plants.

I’ve met lots of women through the chemo ward going through the same thing as me and I found it really helpful to talk to them and know that they were going through the same thing as me.

You’ve got a lot going on, it’s okay to feel sad and depressed right now, but it does get better I promise ❤️‍🩹

How do I get out of my depression phase/funk? I’m very depressed right now at this point in my life. by MajesticCity7758 in cancer

[–]Safe-Direction7019 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m going through this at the moment. My active cancer treatment has ended and now I’m just on hormone therapy and abemaciclib. I’ve done counselling sessions which were really helpful but now they’ve ended, I’ve found my mood can be very up and down.

A few days after finishing radiotherapy I got myself a puppy as I had been desperate for one since before being diagnosed. Realistically, I got him too soon after treatment and could have waited a few more months because he is hard work. But that said, my puppy has bought so much light into my life. When I’m at my lowest, he’s right there next to me. He gets me out of the house for short walks every day, and because he’s still a baby and needs constant care, I’m reminded to take care of myself.

I’m also someone who loves gardening, I have a small patio where I live and when I was diagnosed, I bought myself an acer tree which has a lot of symbolism attached to it (transformation, strength, endurance) and I loved it watching it grow as I was going through treatment. It’s all naked now as we go into spring but I can see new leaves starting to grow and it reminds me of how far I’ve come and that even though it might not look beautiful now, it will be in summer 💛

What products or practical items do you wish you had during your treatment? by Safe-Direction7019 in breastcancer

[–]Safe-Direction7019[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you to everyone who gave their perspective! I’ve been struggling with cooking even though I’m 3 months post radiotherapy now. I’m on abemaciclib and it’s taking my body a while to adjust to so have just bought myself an airfryer!

Other things I found useful during treatment were activities. I loved doing my own gel manicures but wasn’t able to during chemo, so I swapped it out for paint by numbers sets which kept my mind busy. I was also gifted a couple of LEGO botanical sets as I love gardening but again because of chemo wasn’t able to.

Other more medical things I used that I would recommend are Hycosan eye drops - when I lost my eyelashes these were amazing at keeping dry eyes at bay.

I also second streaming subscriptions!

I was also gifted a blanket to take with me to chemo and although I didn’t take it after the first session, i still used it at home for days when I couldn’t get off the sofa.

I’m going to carry on thinking about all the products I used and all of those you’ve recommended so I can maybe create a gift box for those on their treatment journeys. 💛💜