How to cope

youngibc

Everybody says time. I do agree, but I too am faced with one more surgery in December. RECONSTRUCTION. I am very much looking forward to that. I try to joke and think "How many 33 yr olds get a tummy tuck and a boob job" However, it scares me that now that I am done with treatment we are nut running a series of tests just to make sure. Everytime I have one single pain I think " Oh god, the cancer spread there" I am so tired and I know that I need to finally start to lose my post baby and chemo weight. I have gained 55 pounds since my treatment began, not doing much for the self esteem. Oh, and my hair, prior to chemo I had waste length beautiful hair. Now I have some type of GI Jane spike going on. Does anybody know anything about hair extensions. How do I deal with the fatigue. Remember, I am the mother of an 8yr old, and 1 yr old. Thank you everyone for listening to me vent. Even though I have the world's best husband, I do not want him to see me weak.

KathiM

See my reply under your original post....I am now 51 years young...my time is much shorter than yours...
MAJOR HUGS,
Kathi

24242

IT is difficult to cope with when we are so young and have so much to do, all too consuming sometimes. I am stage 3 IDC cancer survivor of 9 years who had 11 out of 21 positive nodes who was diagnosed at 36. Life goes on and we have to choose to be on that train of life.
I was able to look back at my history and see I cared little about the little things I could do to help myself and my health. I lived on little sleep my entire life since working shift work since a very young age. I now get no less than 8 hours of sleep and often it is more now that I am working more physical than I ever have painting and mudding and taping drywall.
This thing called living is nothing but hard work and now I just don't deny it. I try to be true to myself being honest about all I feel and that has taken allot of weight off of these shoulders.
It isn't that we are weak when we feel the things we do. We can always hope wish and pray things to be different but acceptance is often the best we can do for ourselves.
Being hard on ourselves is something we are use to and that is something we must change.
Tara

jmears

Try to think of it this way ... you would be tired if you didn't have cancer treatments with an 8 and 1 year old. My real comment is ...you said they are "not" running tests? If I had of known then what I know now I would have insisted. I have a recurrance to my bones ... found because my occasional tumor marker tests started to rise. I was so upset because I don't really know if the spots are new or if they were there originally ...because I never had any bone scans. I don't mean to alarm you but insist...at least it will give you peace of mind that at this time you are disease free. Best wishes to you!!! Jamie

lileva

Young, I just completed reconstruction (TRAMM)and was very aprehensive before I did it. It is well worth it. Some pain involved, but hey the tummy looks great and so do the breasts and I'm almost 50!
I agree, it is kinda scarey when you finsih chemo and wondering if "it" will come back. My onc. has me go through scans every 6 months and checks my labs every 3, it may be overkill but it makes both of us feel better.
I completed treatment July 05, and have really started to get my energy back. I started walking every day. Maybe you could take the young ones and go walking, it does help improve your energy level.
Good luck,
Eva