stressed out

maggi

hi, i'm new to this site. i was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2000. had laparoscopic colon resection no lymph nodes involved. my past colonoscopy's have been good but i have one comming up end of april and i'm getting so stressed out about it ..that its all i think about! i keep all this inside and no one can know the fear you feel unless you are another cancer survier.. can someone please let me know how you handle this.. thanks

drmrgirl47

Hi Maggie, I also am fairly new to this site. I so understand the fear you have. I sometimes wish there was a pill we could take to alleviate these feelings. But at least here, at this site, we can vent to each other. I keep a journal of all my feelings. I write in it every morning. Even if it is a sentence or two. Maybe this helps, I don't know. I also try to keep busy. It is also hard for me too. At least we are not alone. Take care.

StacyGleaso

Hi maggi,

I totally understand your apprehension. I am a stage 4 survivor, and still get a little nervous until I get the results of CT scans and colonoscopies. The best advice I can give is to be as brave as you were the first time with your cancer. The further away you get from your diagnosis, the "safer" you'll feel. Plus, having been through SO much, you know the benefits of being proactive. Don't let your nerves get the best of you.

Stay tough maggi, and keep us posted...fingers are officially crossed for luck!

Stacy

KrisS

I am Stage 4 and on treatment. Getting stressed is very normal. When I find myself getting really stressed, I remind myself that whether I worry or not is not going to change the result, but worrying will just reduce my ability to enjoy today. It doesn't always work, but I am getting better at it with time.

Here is hoping that you have one fantasic report.

Kris

2bhealed

hi maggi,

Welcome to the semi-colons club.

This is how I handle the stress of upcoming tests:

I get incredibly crabby at my family and irritated with them that they do not know what is going on inside my head...

My emotions are all over the board. Fear usually wins out but often is translated into anger....at the world... at this cancer... at folks who have no clue how a cancer survivor feels...at doctors who do not give you info that could have kept you from getting this in the first place...yada yada yada....but then I buck up and go to my place of happiness that I am alive and appreciative of every day I have with my family and the gifts that cancer has given me....my renewed sense of purpose....my ability to savor the days....my strength that has blossomed...my new boldness....my more simplified faith in God that has let go of the "to do" and evolved into the 'to be' and the direction that I have deliberately chosen for my life.

So that's how I handle it. Fuss, cry, crab, journal, exercise, laugh, and mostly...come here to hang out with y'all!

peace, emily who doesn't have to go through any more tests until August!

aspaysia

drmrgirl47 said:

Hi Maggie, I also am fairly new to this site. I so understand the fear you have. I sometimes wish there was a pill we could take to alleviate these feelings. But at least here, at this site, we can vent to each other. I keep a journal of all my feelings. I write in it every morning. Even if it is a sentence or two. Maybe this helps, I don't know. I also try to keep busy. It is also hard for me too. At least we are not alone. Take care.

There is a pil you can take to de-stress. I take Celexa prescribed by my oncologist. He does not want me to be depressed while recovering from this disease. I also have Klonipin for anxiety. It's great for dental appointments. My teeth are in bad shape frome chemo/radiation and I HATE going to the dentist. And Vioxx helps with chronic pain, a result of losing my backbone, I mean my tailbone. OK. I'm a wimp. But everyone says, "Oh, you're so courgeous!" Just mellow, folks.

Aspaysia, feeling no pain.