Now what????

j916
j916 Member Posts: 141
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am so glad i found you guys...i feel like i have found a place of sanity in a world full of chaos.
Ok...so...my last chemo (YEAH!) is next friday, May 29th! I am so excited my eyes tear up at the mere thought of it!
But.....then what? I have heard that PTSD is common, and i want to avoid that as much as possible. I have identified my three main risk factors that i have control over:
I've very overweight
I was on hormones for perimenopause for many years
I drank far too much

Ok.....check, check, check....those three are within my power to do something about. I've stopped the hormones (the day of diagnosis), stopped the drinking, and intend to get this weight off once and for all asap after chemo is done. If there was ever a motivator for FINALLY losing weight...this is it. Period.

But i am floundering. Even tho i know this is "natural" to feel this way, as the last day of chemo gets closer, i'm actually feeling panicky about what to do next. Help

Comments

  • ninjamom
    ninjamom Member Posts: 142
    #2
    Will you be doing radiation?
    Will you be doing radiation? If no....CELEBRATE!!!!!!!! my doctor told my I could start living again, take walks, pamper yourself. Easier said than done I know but it's doable. If you are wanting to drop some weight, go to dlife.com, it's a diabetic website that had some low cal, low carb recepies. I have diabetis and during chemo I gained weight and also started retaining lots of water (25 to 30 lbs), thanks to lasix and a very restrictive salt diet I have dropped 47 lbs :), my husband found the dlife website and we now get recepies from there, good flavor, easy to make and gives you the nutritional breakdown so you now the number of cal, carbs, sodium etc.

    Anyway, exercise, be mindfull of what you eat, be good to yourself.
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #3
    Many people find it helpful
    Many people find it helpful to start a new focus, like getting involved in church, getting a new job, hobby, join a club, volunteer at an animal shelter, nursing home, school, wherever your interests lie. Maybe look into taking a class at a community college, learn to play a musical instrument, study a foreign language, start writing books or poetry, get involved in your local American Cancer Society or other organization to help out other survivors....Something to keep you active and focused outside of yourself. While we are going through treatments it is necessary for us to focus on ourselves and getting better, but once that is done it is time to get busy living again!

    Live as well as you can for as long as you can...seof
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #4
    After treatment
    I am still in radiation, but I know what you mean, j916. I think Seof's ideas of getting outside yourself are excellent. Just take it slow and don't try to do everything at once. As for PTSD, it's possible but unlikely. I have some bad memories of chemo, but, believe it or not, they are starting to fade and my last treatment was only about two months ago. It does fade. If you feel yourself going down that path, get help early on so it doesn't get out of control. There are excellent therapists out there who can help ward off a full blown case.

    So, what I did was start living a new life. I had goals like yours: get in shape, cut down on drinking, etc. So, I joined a gym and got a trainer. I also do things now that I was putting off before. I started collecting vintage books, getting massages, and meditating. I try to not be frantic and stressed anymore. I cook all the time again (I can recommend Eating Well magazine for tasty recipes with nutritional breakdowns). Since there is so much new in my life, I don't dwell on the cancer as much.

    Congrats on identifying goals. You don't need to achieve everything at once. Just get started. Good luck! I know you'll do well.

    Mimi

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