Hi,
Thanks for the messages and apologies for not replying sooner – this ‘stuff’ can takeover your life…..
I was fortunate to live in Bedfordshire which has a very good NHS mental health support team. Once they realised how bad my anxiety had become, they moved fast and got me into a hospice for a couple of weeks to sort out medication (and I’m still on the anti-depressants along with the pain-killer, etc., etc.). Interestingly, they changed the slow release morphine drug and that made me more ‘awake’ which also helped my mental state.
However, I am ”fortunate” in that I found a cousin had also been through Myeloma and his family took on my care based on renting a small flat just down the road from them – expensive, but life changing support.
I’m coming to the end of the 4th cycle of chemo, so plenty of things still to happen (especially the transplant) but I’m at least able to face life and see some future.
I would recommend anyone to get as much psychological support as they can get from the local NHS teams (and it probably means you having to do the running around, chasing, etc., yourself). Your local specialist nurses, and any from MacMillan will also be able to help and point you in the right direction.
Whilst the NHS staff I’ve dealt with (at ALL levels) have been superb, the system runs in silos. It seems to require the patient to make the links with psychology, orthopaedics, etc., rather than assume it will happen because you are in the system.
Good luck finding the support – it is around, but it will take effort!
Cheers,
Neil.
