Hi Jan, I don't live on my own exactly but my daughter is hardly ever here. I realise what you are saying though. On as diagnosed with Stage 3A endometrial cancer in December 2011, initially in September that year with incorrect Stage 1. By the time I had my operation I nearly lost my life with septicaemia. After Christmas I had to be started on chemotherapy for 3 months, followed by radiotherapy and brachytherapy then 2 more shots of chemotherapy. Th  the Macmillan advert ert hits the spot about facing cancer alone and how it makes you feel. It is very lonely.

During treatment I had a lot of problem with my bowel (not least because I had a colostomy) but medications made things worse so I used my instincts  and tried  foods like prunes  and various greens, nuts and fruit.  These helped my poor damaged system to rectify itself. 

Join any support groups you can. Just being with other people and sharing each other's experiences lifts you out of the doldrums .  You have to keep working at building a network of support and backup. I have also kept good records on my treatment so that if anyone needs  background information it is in one place. Inform friends  where to find it. 

I don't know if any of this helps, except to say it is now November 2015 and I'm still here, quite well!  Look away from the morbid  noise of cancer and look for the positive outcomes.  I can thorough recommend reading a book called Love, Medicine and Miracles by Dr Bernie Siegel.  He is a retired surgical oncologist and this book, given to me by a good friend, I believe saved my mind!

By the way, when you're on chemo you will have to balance out your foods, especially greens as they can send you to the loo too much!    I was on Cisplatin and Adriamycin.  If you get stomach problems ask the doctors to try you on Omeprazole . It worked wonders for meas Ihad a past history of gastritis.

All the best, Angeli

Hi, Jan, I too live alone and it makes everything so much more difficult doesn't it!  Recently my formerly kept under control by diet and exercise Type 2 diabetes spiralled out of control.  I was given medication, and I presumed it was that that caused my constipation. But I am now not so sure.  I am taking Senakot, prunes, figs, green veges, fruit, nuts and seeds.  And now feel sick. Nothing really works and my doctor doesn't know what to suggest.  I am in the middle of changing hospitals so have nowhere to go.  I, too, have lovely friends and a few family but being on my own, which has never been a problem, has suddenly become a very sad situation.  My cancer is incurable and spreading quite quickly.

If you find ananswer to the constipation, please share.  I will be eternally grateful!  :-)

Thank you for replying to my post. Unfortunately, only half of it came through so I didn't catch your name. You have had a lot longer to come to terms with the situation and I admire your courage going through all your experiences virtually on your own. Your practical advice regarding gathering a network of support and keep adding to it is very helpful. As mentioned, I do have friends who are very supportive and family members who are there for me but I suppose what I need is to talk to people who are going through similar. That, and to take every day as it comes and not to expect too much. I'm sure the recovery from my op has been hindered by the bowel situation which (fingers crossed) is better than it was. Still very little appetite and feeling sick most of the time but managing to get a bit more sleep which is always a bonus. It would be nice to hear from you again and knowing you name would be good too. Regards Jan 

Hello Pauline. Thank you for replying to my post. I too have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes so we do have a few things in common. I beleive the codeine and morphine based painkillers have caused my constipation which I have been taking religiously since the operation. I am currently taking two Senna at night and CosmoCol laxative powders in varying degrees. This has relieved the situation but it's a very slow process. I have very little appitite and feel sick most of the time and not sleeping too good which doesn't help when trying to maintain a positive outlook. Family live a few hours away and although I've got some very supportive friends, Im in the same situation as you in that there is only me to look after me! Like you, I have loved living on my own and have led a very busy and active life. I am a 64 year old women but beleive I have lived life to the full, making the current situation more difficult I suppose. You didn't say what type of cancer you have been diagnosed with? I hope you will stay in touch and (although I've never said this to anyone before)  that you'll keep me updated with your bowel situation! Regards Jan

Hi, Jan, I feel I am mourning a life that I had and that I am slowly losing my grip on.  Before my operation last year I was diagnosed with stage 1a womb cancer but after the operation they told me it was 2b that had spread to my cervix.  My hospital is a 4 hour round trip and the thought of doing that every day for 6 weeks for radiotherapy when I felt so ill and I had other very sad problems going on was too much.  Ten weeks later they told me it had spread to my pelvic area and was heading towards bladder and bowels and I had peritoneal cancer.  I agreed to take Letrozole, a hormone replacement, which worked for  months and shrunk the main tumour but it has now stopped working and the tumour is growing again.  I have not taken painkillers for about 15 years but have started now on Paracetamol which is holding back the worst of it. 

Are you taking medication for your diabetes?  I did put the constipation down to the Metformin but to be honest I dont know now. I did read that pears were a good and successful aid to constipation and I ate a huge one yesterday.  Dont know if it was that or the extra portions of prunes and figs but it certainly helped.  Just want things back to normal, dont need that pain as well as everything else.  Ah, who else can we discuss these problems with, certainly not my friends and family!  :-)

Good morning Pauline. You are going through such tremendous difficulties it would appear! I think you are a very courageous women and think you should hear that often! I know I get so very depressed especially in the evening when I have had a day at home and not seeing anyone at all. I did go out yesterday and with a friend sitting in as a passenger, drove to Tesco! What an achievement although it was the first time I went there and couldn't think of anything to buy food wise as I have no appetite! However, I went to the GP and he suggests that I have all the symptoms conected to Metformin which I have only been taking a few weeks!  It will be interesting to see if I improve after stopping the medication. I've also stopped taking any painkillers and am hoping that my poor bowel and digestive system makes a speedy recovery. Do you have regular appointments with your GP? I've decided to keep in regular contact and keep them aware of the stages I go through especially if I go ahead with the chemo. Going to see the oncologist this afternoon to discuss and have a list of questions that I need answers to. Please keep in touch. I live in Stafford where about some are you? Regards Jan

Hi, Jan, how did you get on today with the Oncologist?  I hope he didnt present you with more situations that you weren't prepared for - which is what usually happens to me.

Havent been out today so been talking to myself, and the dog, most of the time  :-).  I wonder if it is the Metformin that is making me feel sick and unable to eat.  My doctor did give me anti sickness medication so perhaps he was expecting it.  I have only just started taking painkillers and just paracetamol.   =But, to be honest I cannot do without them now as the pain is escalating each day.

The nurst at my surgery said she will be phoning me once a fortnight in future, which is a bit of a comfort.  I live in Essex and was sent to a hospital in London which was 2 trains, a drive and a long walk, but I have now changed my care to a hospital in Cambridge, which although a 45 minute drive I can be driven all the way there.

If you have time let me know how things went today. x

Morning Pauline. Sorry I dint get back to you before. Pleased to say I've had a busy few days which makes a change from sitting on my own with only myself to talk to. The oncologist was a very nice man who gave me the choice of wether to have chemo or not, after giving me all the facts which makes things very difficult. He said that at the moment I am completely cancer free and that the chemo would only give me an extra 3 to 10 per cent protection of it returning but even then there was no guarantee that it would be effective. He gave me information about the horrific short and long term side effects and said that if treatment was to commence it would have to start in about three to four weeks and I have a further appointment on the 25th to give my decision. How are your bowels? Mine seem more under control since I stopped the pain killers and become more mobile and I've started to eat a little more but with still little appetite. Have you spoken to your nurse/GP about the medication you're on for diabetes? It must be so inconvenient having to travel so far to the hospital. I am lucky in that respect I suppose. I've got an over night stay with my son tonight and I'm so looking forward to It. I us(I use my iPad to send these messages and sometimes the cururser has a mind of its own so please excuse this last paragraph! Please keep in touch and I hope each day's becomes more positive and pain free. Regards Jan x