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Cancer and mental health

Once again, I’ve proven that consistency is not my strong point. I had planned to write another blog post some weeks back following my one year post-treatment appointment. However events took a bit of an unexpected turn…

The last few months have been really tough and the last few weeks have been hell. This appointment had been a long time coming; I had a blood test and a CT scan in preparation and was hoping to be given the news that one year on from completing treatment I was cancer free. Understandably, in the run up to this appointment I have been incredibly anxious, but my anxiety started to really get out of hand; I was vomiting most mornings, had a resting heart rate of over 90 consistently, high blood pressure, struggling to sleep, flashbacks, experiencing social anxiety and difficulty leaving the house, lack of motivation, intense food cravings and binge eating, constantly feeling overwhelmed, tired and on the brink of tears. All the while, I was studying, sitting an exam and going into placement full time and generally trying to convince the world and myself that I was fine.

Three weeks ago I had my appointment and instead of being told good news, I was told that my CT scan hadn’t been reviewed and that on examination, there was a red area on my cervix that wasn’t there previously which would require further investigation…holy fuck! After a brief meltdown (which mainly involved me ugly crying on my lovely Cancer Nurse Specialist’s shoulder) we discussed my anxiety. Basically, what I am experiencing is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It feels odd even saying that because of course, we usually relate PTSD to people who work in emergency services or the military – who witness awful things daily, or child or adult victims of violent or sexual attacks/abuse, not people who have/had cancer. However, the T in PTSD can actually refer to any traumatic event or experience; one persons PTSD is not necessarily the same as someone elses, and nobody should feel that their trauma is lesser or doesn’t entitle them to feel the way they do…it’s not a competition.

Following that news, I had an MRI and today I met with my previous surgical gynaeoncologist. We discussed why I was there and what the plan was, he said that he would examine me and that if a biopsy was needed it would need to be done under general anaesthetic, not in clinic. Yesterday was leg day at the gym; which was not the wisest choice the day before having to lie with my legs in stirrups for 15 minutes…fortunately though, it was worth it because the red looking area shows no indication of abnormal cells and both the CT and MRI scans look normal. Which means I can officially say I am 1 year cancer free!

Unfortuantely, my mental health is a little more complex and precarious. Just because I have good news now, doesn’t instantly erase the anxiety. I still face years of check ups, scans, blood tests (which involves dealing with my new phobia of being cannulated, following an incident where a nurse pushed a flush through a cannula that wasn’t in my vein) and worry about recurrence everytime my lower back aches or I get a chesty cough. I ended up cutting my placement short because it was just too emotionally exhausting to go in and care for other people during that time and thankfully my placement team were really supportive of that. I have joined a gym in an attempt to help me burn off some excess cortisol (stress hormone). I am also in the process of arranging counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy, because a) I don’t want to feel like this and b) I don’t want to start my nursing career with a lot of my own baggage, that has the potential to affect the care I give other people. Nursing is wonderful, but more stressful than most people can imagine; taking care of yourself is fundamental to being a good nurse.

Ultimately, I am very relieved and pleased that I can officially claim to be cancer free, but I am aware that the scars cancer has left me with are far greater than the visible ones on my belly and that recovery is long, complex and challenging.

Blog image for Penny Brohn Article

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Penny Brohn, The Bristol Whole Life Approach, healing, recovery and moving forward from my cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment

It has been months since my last post which is primarily because during my treatment I felt so completely awful. As such I really needed to just focus inwards, on taking care of my self and that meant shutting off from everything else for a while.

However, it has now been almost 10 weeks since I completed my course of chemo and radiotherapy and I’m feeling really good: not just because the side effects have passed (there was a time when I thought I might never stop vomiting) but because I’m beginning to move forward and take back control over my life and my body. This feeling of empowerment has developed following attending a ‘Living well with the impact of cancer’ course at Penny Brohn UK, where I learnt the foundations of The Bristol Whole Life Approach and began to develop the tools to take ownership of my health and wellbeing.

The organisation was founded by Penny Brohn, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1979 and quickly came to the realisation that she needed more than just treatment and the associated medical care, rather that she needed to attend to her mind, body, spirit and emotions in equal measure. In 1983, with the help of her close friend Pat Pilkington she opened The Bristol Cancer Help Centre. At the time, this holistic approach was not widely acknowledged by the medical profession. However, since then healthcare and healthcare professionals have come to recognise that health and wellbeing are about far more than just the body and that a person living with cancer can do a great deal to help themselves. Since those humble beginnings and thanks to Penny Brohn and Pat Pilkington, Penny Brohn UK is now nationally recognised in the field of integrative medicine and has enriched the lives of thousands of people living with and beyond cancer.

The Bristol Whole Life Approach is at the core of the work at Penny Brohn. Building resilience into everyday life is central to this, supporting the body’s immune system (our natural ability to heal and protect against illness and disease). This involves recognising that our mind, body, spirit and emotions, are all interconnected, working together to support our immune system.

The Approach provides support that cares for the needs of the body, mind, emotions and spirit. It is based upon Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), which is the study of the connections between our mind, nervous system and immune system (This area of research is really interesting and there is a link below which goes into a bit more detail). Essentially, stress has a profound effect on your immune system and wellbeing and modern day life is pretty stressful: this is unavoidable, we cannot remove stress from our lives entirely, but we can do things to manage and relieve stress. The charity aims to support all people living with or beyond cancer (and their close supporters) in ways that empower, giving you both support (such as counselling or nutrition advice) and the tools to help yourself make lifestyle changes (such as daily meditation practice). They do this through courses, groups and individual sessions. It is a charity which means they are reliant on funding, but all services are completely free of charge!

One of the things that I struggled with when I was diagnosed with cancer was understanding how my immune system had been unable to effectively fight HPV; resulting in abnormal cell changes growing and developing to the point that they were cancerous. I had run a half marathon just a few months earlier, had a pretty good diet (no meat and limited animal products, lots of fruit and veg etc) and I rarely got ill, so honestly I was kind of miffed about what had gone wrong. Attending this course opened my eyes and I can honestly say has changed my life indefinitely. What I learnt is that we are so much more than just our bodies, that wellness is not a checklist: something to be achieved by going through the motions. Rather, it is about being attentive, mindful and in the moment; it’s about checking in and rechecking in all the time about what you think, what you feel, what you need and embracing whatever arises and finding effective ways to cope with the challenges of everyday life.

Originally I was booked to attend the course in April, however this clashed with my treatment so I rearranged for the end of June. I attended a residential course at the main centre in Bristol (although they do run non-residential courses at various venues across the country). Now what happens within the group stays within the group because it is a safe space for people to let their guard down and embrace the learning/supportive experience. What I can say is that I was blown away by the bravery and open-minded attitude of all who attended and it was a pleasure and a priviledge to share that space with them. The ‘teaching’ centred around the 4 main areas (mind, body, emotions and spirit) as well as considering environment, practical issues, community and relationships. Various techniques were offered as a means of helping to deal with stress; this included meditation, mindfulness, relaxation and imagery. The course offered an overview of each area with some useful advice and discussions on each subject then encouraged you to explore what that meant for you and what changes you could make. It involved creating care plans with goals to be regularly re-evaluated moving forward. The experience was restful and relaxing, but emotionally gruelling and tiring at the same time. At times it was sad and difficult but ultimately it was an eye opening experience that I needed to have and I left feeling empowered, grateful, inspired, hopeful and back in control.

For me regaining a sense of autonomy over my own body has been so important. I am a fiercely independent person and I feel like cancer took that away from me. All of a sudden there were other people telling me what I needed to do and everything I needed was out of my control, and whilst I am eternally grateful for the treatment that I have received, that was something that I found especially difficult. I am not suggesting for a moment that I would have declined treatment: I have faith in medicine and zero doubt that the treatment I received was what was best for me. However, I did feel like my body was not my own for a while and it feels so good and so empowering to feel now that I am in a place (and have the tools) to be able to do everything I can to recover from cancer and treatment, prevent recurrence, take care of my whole self and live well with and beyond cancer.

So now I am faced with the uncertainty of what will happen next and what that will mean for me. I am hopeful that I am cancer free but at this stage I don’t know that. What will follow is continued monitoring for the next 5 years minimum, starting with a scan in a couple of months time. Implementing initial lifestyle changes is relatively easy when you are in a safe and supportive environment with no commitments, making those changes stick long term is more challenging. It requires continuous effort, making time and recognising that you deserve that time to look after yourself. I feel confident that with the continued support of Penny Brohn UK I will be able to keep up with the changes I have already made and in time will be able to make more.

My intention is to follow this post with more detailed discussions of some of the things I have learnt from the course in 4 separate posts relating to mind, body, spirit and emotions because although the focus at Penny Brohn is on those with cancer the principles are really about taking care of your whole self and that applies to, and is important for everyone.

A really useful clip about resilience and balance: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Website-Boat-Sequence-Compressed.mp4

Psychoneuroimmunology info: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/why-choose-us/what-we-do/

Information about fundraising for Penny Brohn and how to get involved: https://www.pennybrohn.org.uk/get-involved/fundraise/

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Nausea and syringe drivers

The last few days have been pretty rough as I have been really suffering with nausea. Had my chemo on Wednesday and felt ok, woke up on Thursday, chundered and felt so sick I couldn’t eat or drink anything.

I was expecting to have a review after my radiotherapy, but there was some mix up with it so I didn’t get my review and was sent to the Acute Oncology Service instead (kind of like A&E/AMU for people with cancer). The doctor I saw there was concerned that I was dehydrated and gave me some fluids. She also said she wanted me to have a syringe driver…I can’t help but relate a syringe driver with end of life care but the doctor explained that whilst I am being sick the absorption of oral medications is erratic and delivering it through a syringe driver offers more control. So after several hours, they sent me home with a syringe driver delivering ondansetron and metoclopramide. Went back yesterday to have it refilled and a district nurse is going to come and do it today and tomorrow. So I’m spending the hottest day of the year so far stuck in waiting for a nurse.

A syringe driver is exactly what it sounds like…the prescribed medication is drawn up into the syringe which is then put into a pump (or driver). The nurse sets the rate at which the medication will be administered and it is delivered through a small needle which sits just under your skin, so you are getting a continuous subcutaneous (under the skin) infusion. It is usually changed every 12-24 hours depending on the care setting and the medication.

I still feel pretty shitty, the drugs have relieved the symptoms slightly so that I am able to eat and drink a bit but I still feel sick constantly. I am still eating loads of ice lollies and also lots of sparkling water. I noramlly drink about 3 litres of water a day but I just can’t at the moment. Hopefully this will ease of the next couple of days and I really hope they can come up with a more permanent solution than the syringe driver. The nurse spent ages trying to find me a nice bag to put it in…I’m not sure the one she picked is exactly my style but I appreciate the effort! I definitely feel more self conscious with it, because up until now I haven’t had to deal with looking like a sick person (my treatment isn’t giving me any externally visible side effects), whereas with the syringe driver people can see the bag and tubing.

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1 week of chemo and radiotherapy treatment completed!

I have officially completed my first full week of treatment! So, 1 chemo and 5 radiotherapy sessions done, 1/20 to go!

So far my symptoms have been minimal, the only thing I am suffering from is nausea. The best way I can describe it is like having a permanent hangover…feeling kind of sick and pathetic and craving only crap food! Obviously isn’t the most fun thing in the world but it could be worse. I’m eating my own weight in ice lollies because they are the only thing that doesn’t make me feel sick…I’m probably going to need new teeth by the end of my treatment!

Tomorrow my second week of treatment starts with chemo and radiotherapy and then on Thursday I will have a review as well as my radiotherapy. This will give me the opportunity to speak to a doctor about how I’m getting on and hopefully they will review my anti-sickness medication. It’s really important to keep them in the loop about side effects/problems because the sooner they know about it, the easier it is to get on top of it.

The treatment itself is pretty straight forward, the radiotherapy takes 10-20 mins depending on whether they do scans at the same time (for my first 3 they did but as the images showed everything lined up perfectly they will just do these once per week from now on). The chemotherapy takes about 3 hours. The worst bit is the travelling…at the moment there are a LOT of roadworks so it’s a 3 hour round trip every day in which I insist on blasting the air con (because I feel sick) so my poor ma is sat there freezing!

Anyway, one week down, 4 to go!!!

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The page name, Girls, and HPV

A few people have asked me about the name ‘All adventurous women do’, so I thought I would explain.

In the HBO show Girls (Season 1 Episode 3), by the incredibly talented Lena Dunham (if you haven’t seen it watch it immediately if not sooner), Hannah finds out she has Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There is a scene where Shoshanna tells Hannah that Jessa says “all adventurous women do [have HPV]” (see video clips)!

HPV is an extremely common virus which most people will contract at one time or another. Worldwide, HPV is the most widespread sexually transmitted virus which 80% of the population will contract at some point in their life. Most of the time the body’s immune system is able to clear the infection easily and it is entirely possible to have the virus without any knowledge.

There are over 100 types of HPV. The majority of HPV types infect the skin on external areas of the body, for example verrucas and warts on feet and hands.

Around 40 types of HPV affect the genital areas and approximately 20 of these types are associated with the development of cancer. Around 13 of these 20 types are considered oncogenic (cancer causing), meaning there is credible evidence that they are directly associated with the development of cervical cancer, therefore are considered high risk. These high risk types of HPV are HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68. High-risk genital HPV types show no symptoms, so a person infected may never even know they have it. Types 16 and 18 are the most prevalent, causing over 70% of cervical cancers (these are the types that the HPV vaccine protects against).

Additionally, there are nine HPV types that may be associated with the development of cervical cancer, but there is not enough evidence for these to be considered high risk types at present. These are HPV 26, 53, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 73 and 82.

The remaining genital HPV types are considered low risk because they do not cause cancer. However, they can cause other problems, such as genital warts.

Whilst these types of HPV are predominantly associated with causing cervical cancer, anyone can contract and pass on HPV. Whilst barrier contraceptive methods do lessen the risk of contracting genital types of HPV, it is very easily spread and therefore cannot be prevented altogether.

In the UK HPV testing is carried out as part of cervical screening as it can only be tested from a sample of cells. So, ultimately the only way to monitor whether you have HPV or not and to prevent your risk of developing cervical cancer is through regular and timely screening (and of course through vaccination where appropriate). So go and get your cervix checked out, tell all your friends and family to go and support the vaccination programme for young girls, you might just save a life!

Useful links about HPV:

https://jostrust.org.uk/about-cervical-cancer/hpv

http://www.who.int/immunization/topics/hpv/en/

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine.aspx

A clip of Lena Dunham talking about the episode of Girls in question:

A clip from the episode:

Link to Lena Dunham’s instagram (which is brilliant, hilarious and well worth following) and her podcast (which I just discovered):

https://www.instagram.com/lenadunham/

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/women-of-the-hour/id1049452428?mt=2

Featured image and video courtesy of http://www.hbo.com/girls and https://www.instagram.com/lenadunham/

Rosie Schofield4 Comments

Treatment plan – pelvic radiotherapy and cisplatin chemotherapy side effects

2 days ago I met with my new oncologist and nurse specialist – 6th doctor, 3rd oncologist, 3rd hospital and 4th nurse specialist (I swear I’m not a fussy patient, they just keep referring me)! My treatment will take place over 5 weeks starting 29th March and will consist of 25x external radiation treatments (5 days per week) and 5x cisplatin chemotherapy treatments (1x per week). Fortunately because the tumour was completely removed I don’t need to have internal radiation/brachytherapy (it sounds fucking horrific)! The doctor went over all the side effects and I signed consent forms etc, it wasn’t particularly new information as I have had plenty of time to do my research and the previous oncologists talked me through most of it before but it was kind of overwhelming now that it is actually happening.

Radiotherapy is usually given as the main treatment for cervical cancer (that requires more than a surgical approach). It is often given in combination with chemotherapy because chemotherapy makes the cervical cells more sensitive to the effects of the radiotherapy, thus making it more effective. This type of treatment is usually called chemoradiation.

I’ll start with the radiotherapy…Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays, usually x-rays and similar rays (such as electrons) to destroy cancer cells in the area that’s being treated. Normal cells can also be damaged by radiotherapy. Normal cells can usually repair themselves, but cancer cells can’t. Radiotherapy is carefully planned so that it avoids as much healthy tissue as possible. However, there will always be some healthy tissue that’s affected by the treatment and this will cause side effects. Unfortunately in pelvic radiotherapy, rather a lot of healthy tissue is affected resulting in a number of short and long term side effects. The most common short-term effects are; bladder and bowel changes (urinary frequency and urgency, radiation cystitis, haematuria (blood in urine) and diarrhoea and urgency etc.), fatigue and effects on the skin (radiation burn, loss of hair in area being treated). Many people experience these symptoms only during and for a short while after treatment, however for some the bladder and bowel changes can be permenant. Additionally, pelvic radiotherapy causes infertility (menopause and damage to uterus) and vaginal stenosis (narrowing). It can also cause long-term damage to the bones (osteoarthritis). FUN!

Cisplatin chemotherapy, is as the name suggests a platinum based drug. It is given intravenously along with lots of fluids as it can cause kidney damage. It does not cause hair loss, but like most chemotherapy drugs often causes nausea and vomiting. It increases risk of infection (because it can reduce the number of white blood cells in your blood) and can cause anaemia and increased brusing/bleeding (due to reduced red blood cells and platelets in the blood). It often causes loss of appetite and changes in taste as well as fatigue. It can also cause hearing loss, in fact the doctor told me many women are not able to complete the full course because of hearing loss (this can be permenent if not dealt with). It can also cause infertility.

These all sound pretty grim, and some of them I will definitely get, but everyone reacts to treatment differently so there is no way of knowing just how awful I am going to feel until I get there. The good news is that there are lots of things that I can do to help manage any symptoms that arise. I can follow the advise about skin care and mouth care, I can follow a low-fibre diet, drink lots of water and try to cut out/down on stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol. I can go for walks and do yoga to keep my bones, heart and mind healthy. I can follow the advice of the medics, research for myself things that may help and not put too much pressure on myself. The best news was that I have to try not to lose weight which means I have been given genuine medical advice to stuff my face! 😂 Had my planning (CT) scan today and am now the proud owner of my first tattoos (4 little dots to help them get me in the right position for radiotherapy (see image)).

Useful links:

Radiotherapy (including info on internal radiation/brachytherapy) – https://www.jostrust.org.uk/about-cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer/treatments/radiotherapy

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/treating/radiotherapy/radiotherapy-explained

Long-term effects of pelvic radiotherapy – Macmillan have a great patient info booklet on this (and lots of other topics) which you can order for free from this website: https://be.macmillan.org.uk/be/s-605-radiotherapy.aspx

Chemotherapy – http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/treating/chemotherapy/chemotherapy-explained

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/about-cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer/treatments/chemotherapy

Cisplatin – http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/cancertreatment/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/individualdrugs/cisplatin.aspx

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/cisplatin

Black Juzo lymphoedema compression tights

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Lymphoedema – what it is, prevention and management

Today my super sexy lymphoedema prevention tights arrived so I thought I would write a bit about lymphoedema.

The lymphatic system is part of the body’s immune system, helping to protect from diesease and infection. The lymphatic system is made up of lots of lymph nodes, lymph vessels and lymph fluid. Lymph fluid flows through lymph vessels that connect lymph nodes. Lymph nodes essentially act as a filter, they contain white blood cells (lymphocytes), which attack and break down bacteria, viruses and damaged cells. Any destroyed bacteria or waste products are then transported via the lymph fluid to the bloodstream to be excreted. Sometimes lymph nodes trap bacteria or viruses that take longer to destroy and when this happens they can become swollen and tender.

Lymphoedema developes when blockage or damage prevents lymph fluid from passing through the vessels or lymph nodes and the fluid cannot drain away in the normal way. The fluid then builds up between body tissues and causes swelling. Lymphoedema is a chronic swelling, meaning it cannot be cured because the causes can’t be reversed. However, for most people the swelling can be reduced, particularly when it’s diagnosed early.

In cancer patients lymphoedema can be caused by cancer itself that has begun or spread to the lymph nodes or that presses on the lymph vessels, radiotherapy treatment or surgery to remove lymph nodes.

I had 28 pelvic lymph nodes removed, spread to lymph nodes and will be having radiotherapy which means that I am at high risk of developing lymphoedema. Most hospitals in the UK take a curative approach to lymphoedema, but I was super lucky to be referred to The Royal Marsden, the worlds first hospital dedicated to cancer, who just so happen to take a preventative approach to lymphoedema. So, I had an appointment with a specialist physiotherapist who gave me some guidance on how I could help prevent developing lymphoedema and measured me up for some support tights which work much like compression (anti-embolism/DVT) stockings but also apply pressure to lymph nodes and vessels encouraging movement of fluid. I have to wear the tights everyday for about 6 months and I will have to take care of my legs and feet indefinitely. It means making some changes; no more walking around bare foot 🙁 and I have to moisturise regularly and I’m not supposed to run or do any high energy/high impact exercise for a while. Of course there is no guarantee I won’t develop lymphoedema anyway, but at least I will know I did everything I could to prevent it.

For anyone at risk or experiencing lymphoedema or for anyone supporting someone with lymphoedema it is well worth taking your time to understand what it is, what the risk factors are and what you can do to prevent/manage it.

Lymphoedema links:

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/coping/side-effects-and-symptoms/lymphoedema

http://www.lymphoedema.org/index.php/information-and-support/what-is-lymphoedema

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lymphoedema/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Zoe Buckman photo of light cervix

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Fertility – ovarian tissue cryopreservation

So last Wednesday I had a unilateral laparoscopic oophrectomy for ovarian tissue cryopreservation…basically I had one of my ovaries whipped out and stuck in the freezer 😉

Just to be clear not everyone who has chemotherapy and radiotherapy becomes infertile but the chemo drug that I will be having and where the radiotherapy is targeting means that I definitely will have early menopause. So I was offered the opportunity to speak with the fertility specialist and I did even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to. The reality is that I don’t know if I want children ever, I certainly don’t right now. For the most part I find children quite annoying and whilst I think babies are cute, they certainly don’t make my heart or my uterus skip a beat. But, I didn’t think I would have to decide at 29 what I may or may not want to do at 39 (or whenever) and all of a sudden I’m just supposed to make all these huge fertility decisions about something I don’t even know I want!? Now, the harsh reality (as anyone who has ever gone through IVF will know) is that the success rate is pretty low for all fertility options but after speaking with the specialist I decided to go for the ovarian tissue preservation, whereby they remove and store the necessary tissue which can then be transplanted back in after being 5 years cancer free. This means that if it did work eggs could be harvested for IVF and that some or complete hormone function may return. I figured if I do nothing I WILL get the menopause so I may as well try something and if it doesn’t work then at least I gave it a shot! So incredibly lucky to be in a position to make such choices and to have the #nhs which means I get offered free healthcare which goes way beyond simply making me better but aims to improve my quality of life!

#forevergrateful #cancer #cancersucks #fertility #ovaries #ovariesbeforebrovaries #gynaecologicalcancer

Featured image courtesy of https://www.instagram.com/zoebuckman/

scan-xiety definition image

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PET-CT scans and scanxiety

Up until now I have had 2 CT scans, 2 MRI scans and 1 internal MRI scan (which was as horrendous as it sounds) but last Monday I had my first PET-CT scan. It wasn’t so dissimilar to having an MRI or CT in that they insert a cannula into your hand, but instead or giving you contrast medium (like in a CT) or buscopan (muscle relaxant like in an MRI) you are given a radioactive drug. You then have to lie completely still (not even reading or talking is allowed) for an hour before going into the scanner. The machine itself feels more like an MRI, in that you go right into it. However, it works more like a CT in that uses X-rays to take images. The radioactive drug works by showing up areas of the body where cells are more active than normal. This combined with the images gives a clearer picture of where any cancer cells are and/or if they have spread anywhere else.

Scans can feel quite claustrophobic especially when you are in it for a long time (a couple of mine have been about 45 mins long) and the process can be quite stressful making it difficult to stay still. When you move, the image quality is affected meaning they may have to do them again which means even longer in the scanner! So I have developed some coping mechanisms for all those hours in the scanners…I like to close my eyes (so I can’t see the confined space) and do some mindfulness exercises and yoga nidra; counting my inhalations and exhalations and bringing awareness to each part of my body in turn. This turns what could be quite a stressful situation into an opportunity for some relaxation and it definitely works for me!

#petct #scanxiety #cancer#cancersucks #cervicalcancer #cervicalcancerawareness #yoganidra #yogicsleep #mindfulness #copingmechanism

Featured image courtesy of www.cancer.net/blog

shit-o-meter

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First Post – Fuck I’ve got cancer!

Up until now I have been very quiet about my situation, only telling my family and a few friends because for the most part I am a pretty private person and because I don’t much like being the patient. However, as a health care professional I feel passionate about health promotion and disease prevention so I have decided to share my story…here goes… several months ago I was diagnosed with cervical cancer and after a long list of investigations, in January I had surgery to remove the tumour. This involved having my entire cervix removed along with 28 lymph nodes. Unfortunately, this is not the end of my journey because although the tumour was completely removed, cancer has spread to my lymph nodes, so I will be having chemoradiation to try and blitz any remaining cancer cells.

I have decide to speak out about my experience for a number of reasons, primarily because I think sharing stories in this way has the power to help and inform. I have been inspired to do so by friends and strangers who have chosen to speak frankly about their own experiences with mental illness, long term conditions and cancer. Cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer in women aged 35 and everyday 9 women in the UK are diagnosed with it, so I’m by no means alone but there is a relatively small social media presence (in comparison with other common cancers). Hopefully, I will be able to offer some useful information as well as personal experience and if that helps 1 person then it will be worth it.

I apologise if reading this has upset anyone and I appreciate that cancer is a very emotive topic for many so if anyone does not want to read about this I promise I won’t be in the slightest bit offended if you chose to unfollow me 😘

Finally, I have been inundated with flowers and cards which I am SO grateful for. However if anyone would like to do something for me from this point on can I request that you

  1. Attend your cervical screening appointment (or bowel, breast or prostate)
  2. Get any lumps, bumps or persistent symptoms checked out by your GP
  3. Give up smoking, or
  4. All of the above 😉

Thanks for reading! #cancer #cancersucks #cervicalcancer #cervicalcancerawareness