I was diagnosed with bowel cancer at christmas 2013. Had a op in 2015 after all the chemo and radio which i ended up in hospital for 7 weeks. Everything sèemed ok after that until December that yr when they found a hot spot in my lung. So last yr i had another op to remove that . Again i thought yes finally i got rid of this awful disease. April this yr after a routine ct scan i have now 15 tumours in both lungs . I am so tired not sleeping. Worried bout hubby and my 14 yr son. Trying to lose weight but cant exercise because i cant breathe. All alone during day no one to speak to.
It sounds as if you've had a rotten time almost non-stop since you were first diagnosed. It's no wonder that you feel so low. If you're not sleeping it's no wonder that you feel so tired. I would imagine that the chemo has also attributed to the tiredness. How much more are you scheduled to have?
You are naturally worried about your hubby and son. Am I right in thinking that your son knows what is happening? Do you think that you might be depressed? Your cancer specialist can prescribe anti-depressants, which might help you. it is also a good idea to listen to your body. If you're tired throughout the day and not sleeping at night, just sleep throughout the day.
How do you fill your time throughout the day? Do you have any hobbies or pastimes which might help you to while away the time? Would you consider attending a support group or talking to a counsellor? There are a lot of different types of support available.
We have a seated yoga class nearby. You are not expected to be over active and can stop if you have problems with your breathing. We also have a strength and balance class, again you stop whenever you feel pressured. Finally, we have a weigh to go class. This is aimed at sensible eating, not dieting. All of these classes are free to start with. We discuss the right type of food to eat, portion size, interpret labelling, eating out, etc for the first half of the class, then we do some exercises for the last half. There is a small charge after 15 weeks, but it is a good place to make friends and we often go for lunch or a coffee after the classes.
I lost 5 stones with the weigh to go class, then tried the strength and balance, as I had both of my knees replaced last year. I now attend an exercise class for seniors and have found that I feel less fatigued since I started these classes. I also go swimming, as I find that this doesn't make my breathing so bad (I’ve got Asthma) or my bones so sore. If you can start to feel better about yourself you will find your cancer journey so much easier. These classes are run at different times throughout the day, so you could possibly attend one of these instead of feeling so alone and lonely throughout the day.
Please keep us in the loop and remember, that there is always someone here for you whenever you feel like talking.
