Pelvic Radiotherapy

I had 25 doses of external RT to my pelvis from Nov 2006. This culminated in Internal Brachytherapy - don't know if you will have had that, Jan. I know that it all causes longterm side effects. I didn't have the degree of discomfort you are experiencing though. Could it be something to do with the hormonal therapy - exactly what side-effects does the one you are on have? If you are at all unhappy, I think you should report back to your oncologist and ask for another scan to get to the root of this. Hope everything going ok otherwise, Jan. Please keep us posted xxx Penny

Hi Penny

Thanks for your reply.

I had 15 days of high dose radiotherapy. Maybe it being given so quickly might be something to do with it all. I just don't know. Am on anti depressants now think my GP doesn't have the answer either.

I am on femara/letrozole hormone therapy which accoding to the information leaflet is for breast cancer (mine is secondary womb cancer). I know it can cause joint pains and weight gain both of which I suffer from.

My last CT scan was only on 23rd April it did show some damage but my tumour had reduced in size so that side should be ok. Next Oncologist appointment is September but I was told to phone if necessary so if things don't improve I will have to.

Thanks again

Jan x

Sounds like the bone pain could well be side-effect from your hormone therapy tablets. However, as you are worried, I would give it to next week, and if the abdominal pain has not eased, I would ring and pull forward your Sept appointment. It is probably nothing but it might be an infection and some antibiotics will clear it up.

I'm so sorry that you are suffering Depression. I suffered from that a few years ago and had a gp tell me, "Haven't you got a garden to go into?" (posh voice). I had, but was so depressed I thought she meant Had I got a tree I could hang myself from!!!! I left believing it was up to me to cure my own depression (also that I wouldn't go to that gp again - mistake and why I ended up with Cx Cancer years later!). Of course we are in a different ballgame now: how much physical energy do you have Jan? I found that starting swimming and cycling (also doing some more studying, and changing what was wrong with my life - well WE can't do latter now!!) helped a great deal. What do you really like to do? Are you able to get away and take a hol or is that financially out of the question? I worry that you feel alone - depression can make you withdraw. If you ever feel a Private Message from moi can do any good, even as an ear to listen to your troubles of the day, please do message me and I shall reply as soon as I come on site. xxxx Penny

Hi

Well I phoned GP twice today and its now 8pm and I have heard zilch! I know I am very unimportant but I was told to phone GP if necessary so I did! I even said on 2nd phone call that I couldn't cope so looks like they don't care what happens to me.

Have been trying to sort out all this cancer jargon, does "doing well" mean that or is it just something to say to somebody with a recurrent secondary cancer? My case is so unusual even the Oncologist is surprised. Maybe nobody really knows anything I certainly don't.

Its good to see lots of people being really jolly and positive hopefully its infectious! Sorry to be so negative.

Jan

Well, it may be that surgery is closed for afternoon, and they don't have an efficient transfer service for calls - this has had big press lately - increased pay/decreased service! Please try again tomorrow morning and don't take it personally - THEY DO CARE and WE CARE EVEN MORE! Please don't feel that you are alone with your problems, nor that everyone else is jolly all the time. We all get bouts of doubt and fear. I asked for anti-depressants when I got given the terminal diagnosis. I just presumed I would get depression. My nice gp laughed and said, "It's not compulsory you know!" I do have to take tablets for anxiety othewise I have nightmares. The good thing with Anxiety is that it doesn't stop you doing things, whereas I found Depression made me think, why bother... Yes, well, re lots of jolly people on here - you may find evening chat room can be positively habit-forming, never mind infectious. There are some people with fab senses of humour, and I defy you not to laugh when some of them get going!

Don't ever apologise for anything on here: we are here so we can be ourselves and be honest. Would hate you to feel you had to pretend. However now you have set us the challenge, we shall have to try to make you feel jolly too. By the way, I think Doing Well MEANS doing well. They would not tell you that if it wasn't the case, and that is really good news! Something to be positive about xxxx Penny

Penny

Thank you so much for your loving comments and taking the time to bother with me.

I am going through a bad patch where the whole world is against me (in my eyes only) It seems so petty when so many are coping with so much more than me. I know to some people its nothing but whilst this past year I have been back on the cancer roundabout my darling 13 1/2 year old cat was fighting intestinal cancer and whilst I am doing ok I had to let the Vet take my baby on the 2nd May. It took 40 minutes for the Vet to talk me into letting go. He then gently took Leo from me, told me it was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do (because me. the owner, was also suffering from cancer) and since then I have had to live with the knowledge of what I have done. Leo ate with me, slept with me and loved me unconditionally (I am divorced and my girls have left home) and whilst I have a 14 year old cat and a 10 year old dog Leo was the one who was always there for me and together we fought this awful disease. He was so ill the last couple of days but he still laid in my arms purring as usual.

Sorry I've gone on a bit but therein lies my real problem. I am in pain, all I want to do is sleep, I still have the lumps but I am depressed and selfish because I am scared what happened to Leo and what is happening to me. I am a coward.

Jan

and you are not selfish. What you did was FOR Leo. You would not want him to suffer. He knew up to the end that you loved him very much. It is not the beginning or the end that matters but what comes in between - and that counts for us two-legged animals as well - and Leo had a lovely life with you. My friend who lost her 20 year old cat recently (Wellington) put up photos of him everywhere round the house for a while: her partner thought that was daft, but it helped her!

We pet-lovers take the loss of one of our pets like losing a family member, and you are suffering this bereavement with all the guilt and sorrow thrown in, on top of your own illness. No wonder you are suffering from Depression!

I am sorry about you're being in pain. Are you being prescribed adequate painkillers? I think you should go back and get that sorted because pain overrides everything, and you should not be suffering like that.

Lots of love and hugsxxxx

Penny

Thank you so much. I saw my GP today and now have an open appointment. I need time out to face my own mortality and learn to cope again.

I guess everybody on here goes through this depression at some time and I am sorry I have been such a nuisance and so negative.

Take care and thank you again.

Jan x

We're dealing with great big ISSUES here, and it's not surprising we each of us sometimes crashes for a while. If there is anything I can do (but bear in mind I am VERY ordinary - not Superwoman at all) just give me a Private Message. Sre you on Facebook Jan - some of us have started to meet up on there as well as we can do silly things like send eggs that hatch into mermaids, and seeds that grow into diamonds. Let me know if you are and I will email you my name.

Meantime, you look after yourself. Pop back on here whenever you want to, and hopefully I will be loitering around somewhere. xxxx Penny