The latest discussions, tips and advice from the Live Better With cancer community forum…
The Live Better With cancer community forum is an incredible family – every day you share emotional support and help each other with practical tips and advice. Here’s Community Admin EmilyRose’s roundup of some of the latest forum discussions…
Personality changes and cancer
Cancer doesn’t only affect the body. Living with cancer and treatment can leave you feeling sad, angry or fearful. Sometimes there can be sudden, major changes in behaviour and personality, including rage or depression.
This can have a big impact, not just on you, but on your family and friends too. In this community thread several people have shared their stories about the difficulties of caring for a loved one whose personality seems to have dramatically changed with cancer, and the great strain this can put on marriages and close relationships.
In return, our community members have responded with wonderful warm words and practical advice. RobertA wrote:
Following three months of fairly intense treatment, I was told that I only needed a quarterly infusion and blood test going forward and to go out and enjoy myself. Far from doing so, I started to feel as if I had been abandoned and slowly withdrew into myself, unable and unwilling to make conversation or to find the energy to do anything at all.
My wife was initially supportive, but inevitably became frustrated, and we started to fall out and soon reached the point at which we were questioning our marriage. We were lucky, because my doctor put me in contact with Macmillans and they persuaded my wife and myself to receive counselling, both separately and together. It was not a quick fix, but it helped both of us to recognise that the cancer had changed both of our lives and how to work our way around that.
If you have had similar experiences with cancer and personality changes, the comments on the thread may help you – and please do share your own stories to help others. READ MORE….
Lucy O’Donnell – author of Cancer is my Teacher – answers your questions
Lucy O’Donnell was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in November 2011 and spent most of the next eighteen months in radical cancer treatment. Now she uses her experiences and channels her energies into helping other people. She is a Cancer Wellness Advisor, Holistic Therapist and author of Cancer Is My Teacher – the ‘go to’ book that addresses the physical, practical and emotional sides of living with cancer from the point of diagnosis through to recovery and beyond.
This month the Live Better With Community Forum hosted a special ‘Ask Me Anything’ event with Lucy, where she answered questions on a wide variety of topics from our community members.
Things that came up included:
- Feelings of being ‘cast aside’ after treatment
- Coping with exhaustion while in remission
- Axillary web syndrome – also known as cording, and possible treatments for it
…and much more.
The next Ask Me Anything will be on Thursday 31 January with Dr. Jimmy Kwok – AKA Dr. Yoga – an expert on applying yoga practice for cancer patients and survivors . Post your questions here.
‘People, not a disease!’
Finally, we loved this thread started by Lesley, who asked for the community to show they are ‘people, not a disease’.
She encouraged members to ‘post lovely photos of where we live , our pets our hobbies when we were well, and will do again! It’s all so depressing, need a bit of joy to keep us going! Xx’
The responses are fabulous – why not share yours?
Find help and support, and share your story and tips – join the Live Better With Cancer community.
