Hi,

Disbelief and denial are pretty common, especially if you are under 60 at an age no-one expects someone to receive a cancer diagnosis.

For some people, it isn't believable until they've read it on Facebook or in the local paper! 

So glad you received an early diagnosis!

Good luck :-)

Dave

That actually sounds reasonable, I'm 29 and I am counting my blessings that it was discovered now. Is there anyway to counteract the disbelief, short of bringing them to the consultant with me :laugh: 

I would tell them "i can't believe it myself, but unfortunately it's true. My treatment is starting xxxx and I'm going to need some help, can you offer any?!! Maybe when they are asked to get involved they'll help! My husband was stage 4 oesophagus cancer with no symptoms,  its common, I'm glad they have caught your's early and it's treatable. xx

That's such a scary thought, stage 4 and no symptoms :cry: I was having symptoms similar to coeliac and on investigation found the cancer, so I am stupidly lucky as if I didn't keep going back to GP it wouldn't have been picked up, and tbh I can't really believe it myself, it's been two weeks from diagnosis and it is only seeming to hit me now, but I don't feel I have any room to be annoyed as it was caught early and easily treated at this point 

You should get a copy of the letter to your GP from your oncologist. You could share that with someone and ask them to help you convince everyone else that you’re not being neurotic, a pathologicaliar, or part of the “worried well” group.

My husband was only 43 when diagnosed, ultra fit and healthy and it was already too late, he lasted 11 months, i have two kids to bring up alone now. Cancer does not muck around, it is a force to be reckoned with! In the future make sure you get plenty of follow up colonoscopies and tests to make sure it hasn't snuck back, my friends father had early stage bowel cancer a few years back treated successfully,  refused to have his follow up checks as he 'didn't like them', and now it's back with a vengeance, not something you can tread lightly with. I would even see a private specialist in the future for advice on how often you should be checked, i had a colonoscopy privately recently after some symptoms,  didn't qualify for it under public system as the 'symptoms' weren't considered serious enough, ended up having some polyps removed and he recommended another in 10 years which i am going to do and pay for myself, no way public will fund it but after what happened to my husband I'm not taking the risk! I hope your treatment goes well, not easy with little ones but they need you here and i think that knowledge keeps you going! Family and friends often don't get it, we found more support from people we met at a cancer support group who were going thru it as well.. 

That was something I was thinking of doing, the person I'm having the most doubt disbelief from is my own mother, she said that it didn't make sense that I have cancer and she didn't :neutral: so I think I will just give her the letter and she can go from there with her thoughts and opinions

I will definitely be getting my follow ups! My grandmother was taken by bowel cancer as well and when I was told that's where my mind went, I just never thought I would be in this position at this age. I haven't told many tbh, just those I considered that "had" to know, my kids are too young to be told or even understand, I only told one sibling as she is the closest to me in age, I haven't told anyone else on my side of the family other than my mother, and it is my mother who is doubting me, I have told my three closest friends, and my mother in law and sister in law on my husband's side (who are a huge support) , I am not normally this private a person, I normally don't care who knows what, but this feels like a dirty secret and I don't know why, I'm sorry I'm going off on a tangent now :confused: