[les24655Participant]

Hi David – thanks for the heads up. They have never been mentioned to me at all. When I got home with the sack of tablets I created a spreadsheet – not the greatest spreadsheet but it is doing the job – of when to take what tablets ticking off what I have taken and when.. It is working – dunno what I would do withut it. It’s the twice weekly tablets that would otherwise go by the by. Thanks for your care.

Best wishes

Les

[les24655Participant]

Thanks Rebecca for your encouragement, and you are right – the mental health thing is hardest. I have been very tearful and sometimes find it hard to get a grip of what is happening. At the moment I’m at the stage where every new thing is terrifying, but I’ve managed. I had my first chemotherapy treatment yesterday and even walking into the chemo suite was frightening, not knowing what was going to happen. It went okay, but the sack of drugs I brought home needed sorting, and while I don’t feel I’ve had any major side effects yet, my mood has sunk a bit today. I do look forward to the time beyond treatment. I’m looking forward to Monday when I lose the Aspen collar – it all started with neck surgery on the 1st of September. And it is great to have the encouragement of kind helpful friendly folk here to know there is a future. Thankyou

Les

[les24655Participant]

Hi David,
Many thanks for your encouragement. I’m sure once I start treatment and get into the rhythm of it things will settle down. I’ve had trouble with sleep and starte to get that under control now – and I will take your advice – get any help available.
Thankyou for your support – this is the toughest time I’ve ever exprienced at a time when I feel at my weakest. Good family and medical support around me – at this moment I’m feeling okay about it – in ten minutes I’ll probably feel terrible!

Les

[les24655Participant]

Hi Nuala – many thanks for your reply and support. I konw things are likely to turn out good, but that just feels a long way down the line. I start my chemo next Thursday so am still in early stages. I guess when I get in a rhythm with the chemo I’ll feel better – as long as the many side effects don’t hit too hard. Part of the struggle is the requirement for all the medical staff to tell you about complications even thought most of them are unlikely. I had surgery on a crumbled vertebrae in my neck on the 1st September and am still wearing an Aspen collar from that which feels awful. I think I will feel a bit better after I casn take that off in the next ten days. At the moment it is tears for 5 minutes, then equilibriuam for a few hours, and that is to be expected.
It is great to hear that you are in remission, and hope that continues well into the future and that you can live in all its fullness into the future.
Thankyou
Les

[les24655Participant]

‘s goimh through the present that is so hard. Have hearf today I start the chemotherepy Thanks Davidm and great to hear the ong term thing is good. Its the present that is so difficult. Just heard I start my chemotherepy next Thursday and it’s all so unknown and frightening – it all seems to be dire warnings of side-effects! Have to go through it, but it is all a struggle. This is on top of the surgery for the crumbled vertebrae in my neck which was only 6 weeks ago, and still wearing this dreadful collar. I’m feeling really sorry for myself!!!!!! And feel pathetic.
Thanks for your support and hope.

Les

[les24655Participant]

Hi Rabbit, thankyou for your reply and encouragement and I will phone you later this week just to talk to someone with hope, not just a iist of awful side effectd!!!!!
To be fair, the consultant who confirmed I had it and what the treatment options are was brilliant, as was her staff. However in the build up they discovered I had a crumbled vertebrae which meant big surgery on my neck, and I’ve been wearing the collar since the date of that surgery – 1st Sept. Although the earlier process people kept saying it might be caused by Myaloma, but no-one said what it was (except google) and whether I had, and never mentioned the word Cancer. The neck problem at that stage was the priority, I guess.
I was fit and active, retired but working part-time. Busy, and the next flat on my back, and 2 months later facing chemo. It has been an awful shock, and my emotions have been terrible. My family – wife and two kids – have been fantastic. It just feels like I’m living in the middle of a shot show (excuse my language). It’s good to be able to scream this stuff off into the ether.
Will phone when I’ve got myself together after all the medical shocks.

Les

[Author]

Posts