Ashlee H. wrote:Completely normal feelings. In your case, it is important to understand you HAD cancer. Appears they got it all, and from your signature, doesn't even seem like you had to go through chemo. Don't let it take over your life. They found it, they got rid of it. You had cancer and now you are cured. Could it come back? Sure. Could you break a leg, get diabetes, lose your hearing, get in a car accident, get ALS, etc.? No one knows what tomorrow may bring. A neighbor of mine had cancer and they completely removed it - no chemo, he was cured. Yet, he was having problems dealing with it and going on in with his life. For him, counseling helped him to compartmentalize what he had been dealing with in regarding to a cancer DX.
md07020 wrote:Ashlee H. wrote:Completely normal feelings. In your case, it is important to understand you HAD cancer. Appears they got it all, and from your signature, doesn't even seem like you had to go through chemo. Don't let it take over your life. They found it, they got rid of it. You had cancer and now you are cured. Could it come back? Sure. Could you break a leg, get diabetes, lose your hearing, get in a car accident, get ALS, etc.? No one knows what tomorrow may bring. A neighbor of mine had cancer and they completely removed it - no chemo, he was cured. Yet, he was having problems dealing with it and going on in with his life. For him, counseling helped him to compartmentalize what he had been dealing with in regarding to a cancer DX.
I don't know if i'm reading too much into this or not, but without offending anyone and I'm sorry if I do, I need t say:
I understand that I HAD cancer and did not go through chemo, that doesn't make my experience any less traumatic. I also only just had it, and they found more than just one cancer. My genetics put me at risk for skin, stomach, small intestine and thyroid cancer. I have had several noduals removed from my thyroid and they keep growing which is cause for concern. Chemo has been up for debate between the oncologist studying my genetic mutations at one hospital, and the specialist at another, which makes me worry even more. It has taken me while to feel like I have any right to consider myself a survivor, because I have not gone trough chemo. No matter how you look at it, I have been touched by cancer, I have lost my colon, I have lost the ability to conceive another child, I gave my daughter this gene she will have her first colon-oscipy by the time she turns fifteen, and I fear cancer will someday kill me. Do I spend all day worrying about it? No, but it is a valid concern whether I had it or have it and whether I endured Chemo or not. I don't want to be made to feel like my feelings are any less valid than any one else just because, I had cancer and I didn't do chemo. I will not know if I am Cured for another four and half years. Yes, they removed my cancer and my colon so it can't come back there, but they did not remove my mutated genes or the risk associated with them.
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