2023/02/08: Consequences

It has been a while since I have placed any updates online or on Facebook re this journey. Whenever I have thought to do so, I am aware that I don't know where to begin or what to say, or even, why I feel that I should write something.

There is nothing momentous.
I have no recurrence of my cancer

Yet, my life has been impacted.

There are consequences of cancer and cancer treatments.

Some of it is just anxiety. "s**t, that's not normal." Time to get into the doctor....or...the doctor being the one to say "that's not normal" and "we need to do more tests"

Some of it is real-life impact. Radiation does things to your body. Not nice things. Brachtherapy and pelvic radiation have significant impact.

The last few months have been a series of appointments and tests due to blood in my urine combined with relatively high frequency of apparent UTIs.

I am fine, well, relatively fine, and am on the way to improved health....so no "omg" or "pings are required.

I am just at the point where I feel that writing this down, may be helpful to someone who is reading this series of posts.
I will go back in time, gathering information from messages that I shared and notes that i made in future posts.

**edit**: I have started placing posts dating fall 2022 and onwards

 

[ChemGal]

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It has been a while since I have placed any updates online or on Facebook re this journey. Whenever I have thought to do so, I am aware that I don't know where to begin or what to say, or even, why I feel that I should write something.

There is nothing momentous.
I have no recurrence of my cancer

Yet, my life has been impacted.

There are consequences of cancer and cancer treatments.

Some of it is just anxiety. "s**t, that's not normal." Time to get into the doctor....or...the doctor being the one to say "that's not normal" and "we need to do more tests"

Some of it is real-life impact. Radiation does things to your body. Not nice things. Brachtherapy and pelvic radiation have significant impact.

The last few months have been a series of appointments and tests due to blood in my urine combined with relatively high frequency of apparent UTIs.

I am fine, well, relatively fine, and am on the way to improved health....so no "omg" or "pings are required.

I am just at the point where I feel that writing this down, may be helpful to someone who is reading this series of posts.
I will go back in time, gathering information from messages that I shared and notes that i made in future posts.

I think at times serious effects get a bit glossed over. I noticed this recently with the new Linac-MR machine here. It's absolutely great to have a new, better option for some and certainly does have potential to save lives. A comment was made about all solid tumours though and I'm pretty sure some of the context got lost. If acute side effects were the only harm I would likely be on a waitlist - although very low priority.

 

[Northwind]

Thanks for the update Jayne. I agree with the side effects from treatment and post-treatment. A friend of mine had two breast cancer. Now she's dealing with a cancer in her neck caused by radiation. It's scary stuff.

My neck has been sore lately. Sore necks now bring thoughts wondering if it was caused by knitting (likely) or cancer related.

When I was diagnosed four years ago I made the decision to use my creativity for something other than making myself crazy. I've done reasonably well with that....

 

[Carolla]

Thanks for your post Jayne. Sorry to hear about the health 'irritations' lately. Responses to such events does surely change after cancer treatment, understandably so. I suppose at the time of diagnosis & treatment planning, the short term is the main horizon in view, less so the longer term consequences. As I'm journeying along with my friend undergoing stem cell transplant I've been learning a lot about that monumental treatment experience - and the lifelong side-effects & monitoring required, so your post is timely for me.