Depression

What is the reason for the long wait to surgery if I can ask?

For depression, many feel it.  It's perfectly normal.  One or two days in the bed is OK in my opinion then get your arse up and get moving doing something that will help take your mind off cancer.  Just my advice.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety about 2 years before my stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis. In fact, 6 months before my cancer diagnosis I hit rock bottom emotionally and spent a weekend in the psych ward. I truly believe that if they had done a simple CBC test during that hospitalization they would have discovered that something was wrong physically as well as emotionally. Looking back, my depression went hand in hand with my physical decline prior to my cancer diagnosis. Like you, I was pretty upbeat during chemo, radiation, and surgeries. I was focused and fighting hard. I'm now on the other side of all that treatment. I'm getting scans every 3 months and dealing with lung mets and thyroid issues. I still have days when I don't want to get out of bed. Sometimes I give in and spend the day in bed, other times I force myself to get up and do something to improve my mood. For me that is often taking long walks around the neighborhood, or experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, or watching sports on tv. Try to find those little things that improve your mood and take your mind off the cancer. I wish I knew how to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. I feel that anxiety every time I have a doctor appointment or even when I have minor aches and pains. Of course, you should discuss how you are feeling emotionally with your doctor.  In the meantime, you have joined a very knowledgeable and caring group here. Please keep posting, it might make you feel better to know that you are not alone and we are here for you. 

Rudi

I also suffered from depression And anxpiety !  I have a different cancer ♋️ Gyn, stage 4B endometrial cancer !  I was Dx June 2018,  I was very angry, in denial. I was refusing treatment. Just wanted to die ! I ended up with pulmonary Embolism July of 2018. Spent a week in the hospital, this is when I think the depression and anxiety began ! I started chemo reluctantly in Aug of 2018. Honestly death would have been easier!  So I fought the cancer became NED April 2019. I had a full laproscopic robotic hysterectomy in Jan 2019. I returned to work in Aug 2020, returning to work, the hardest thing to do, I had lost my hair, so my hair was very short. I was self conscious over my thin short ugly hair. I was depressed but I didn't know I was depressed, so I sought the help of a counselor and a shrink. For Xanax for anxiety and Zoloft for depression !  I feel as though I got better mentally and physically just in time for a pandemic last March! And approaching a year with this pandemic is making me  more anxious and I may need them to increase the Zoloft strength !  

sreekanth said:

Yes, I experienced depression post-chemo

During chemo, steroids are part of the cocktail and that keeps us energized. Suddenly when it is stopped, we experience withdrawal syndrome . I experienced this...extreme tiredness, clouded mind. It is just my theory that this occurs due to the sudden drop in steroids. No clinical evidence. Perhaps someone will research this and recommend that steroids be gradually faded out instead of putting a sudden break to it. And this may finally become part of standard of care.

Another reason is that when some therapy is going on, we are actively fighting the disease with the help of medical staff. We meet the radiologist, nurse who helps with IV etc. We feel that they are fighting the fight with us. When the treatment is over, we change from being ACTIVE FIGTHERS to PASSIVE OBSERVERS waiting for the Damocles' sword to fall. That creates anxiety. We feel alone because we are no longer meeting with medical staff. So, this isolation and reverting to passive mode make us depressed. 

Exercising, talking to other people on a daily basis - will all help. But dont hesitate to seek mental help from trained professionals. Most hospitals that provide cancer care also provide mental health support and counseling

 

Very well thought out and worded. Thank you, sreekanth. 

Tru