talkingaboutcancer.com

Having cancer is a life-changing and, for many, a life-long event.  For almost five years I was okay to call myself a survivor, because I had survived.  Although my cancer is now back and has metastasized, I still consider myself a survivor (largely because I’m still around) but everything is so very different.  I have had to adjust to so many things.  I can’t simply “get on with life” anymore (as I would tell everyone else) because recurrence and the consequences of advanced disease have become the largest part of my life.  New treatments are called for to address the cancer directly and to treat the symptoms, particularly the pain.  And, as I have discovered, the treatments create their own symptoms which, in turn, have to be treated.

I have four different types of oncologists working with me and I have to see each of them separately.  I’m taking literally handfuls of drugs every day on top of the ones that I have injected every few months.  And I do all of this while working full-time and while trying to enjoy the rest of my life.  New coping strategies are called for.  It’s difficult to talk to people about it.  Most people don’t understand enough about an initial cancer diagnosis, let alone a recurrence or advanced disease.  I’m so lucky that I have a loving wife to share all of this with, although I feel so bad that she has to bear the brunt of my emotions (see my previous post), but her strength holds me together.

However, it seems never-ending…. relentless…. and often overwhelming.  I know that this is normal and I know that, somehow, I have to keep moving forward.  And I do.

But it’s a long, long road.

Posted by Doug

No Comments »