Hi. I'm sorry for your news. I'm also 41 and recently diagnosed with advanced skin cancer and don't know know yet what my next steps will be. It's such a whirlwind of emotions. One minute feeling ok, next minute feeling there's no hope. From what people tell me, this is all pretty normal. Do you know what your next steps are? Perhaps when you have some course of action you'll feel better as you'll have something to focus on.
As of now I had the surgery to remove the tumor. Doctors are still doing tests I have to do the genetic testing due to family members having the same cancer as myself. I don't have to do chemo right now the doctor wants me to recover from the surgery. They are testing to see if I have the type of cancer that wants to come back and if my numbers are high then I will have to do chemo and if numbers are low then I won't have chemo, they will monitor me very closely.
It sounds like you are in good hands and have a team who are communicating with you.
The shock will wear off eventually, as your mind gets used to its new definition of what is "normal" for you. However most people retain a certain level of anxiety, even when they have been clear of cancer for several years. This raised level of awareness seems to me to be a pretty normal reaction and if not allowed to reach excessive levels is a positive thing as it might help prevent an undiagnosed recurrence.
One change cancer makes in many of us is an increased awareness of how fragile and beautiful life is. Something that so many people take for granted.
Thanks.... So true about raising awareness because I'm only 41 if they wouldn't of caught mines early no telling what stage I would be at. Normally colonoscopy don't start until age 50 and in my case I became anaemia and blood was in my stool and then referred to a GI specialist and he recommended a colonoscopy.
