Oh Dougie! Matty has it spot on, so please take on board what he and others have said. No way are you being self indulgent and you should be proud, not ashamed, that you're opening up. How else are we to begin to understand cancer if we're not told? And what better way to help fight it by understanding? People need to start talking about illness and it's something we're not good at but your experience may be the start of others opening up and sharing. Don't hold back!
I am (sat here trying to find an adequate word) sorry, saddened, devastated, (all of those and more) to read of your experience yesterday. If thoughts could cure, you'd be quite well, we'd kick that bloody cancer into touch. I know from the responses on here that others feel as inadequate as I do. This thread is the least we can do but I wish it were more.
Sadly, your account of yesterday has a familiar ring. My mum went from diarrhoea to constipation and back, so it was a battle between which medication to give to get bowel movements near normal. As for the off handed response of some of our health services, I'm afraid I can relate to that too.
It sometimes seems there's a fortress built around our medical experts and it's a full scale battle to get to them. I think it's because they don't understand cancer. They don't understand the frustration of getting treatment when you know what's needed but they can't see it. They don't understand how important it is that you have immediate access to emergency treatment to relieve symptoms. That treatment may be quick and simple but it can be vital to your continued health but they don't understand.
I wouldn't have understood had I not gone through fighting cancer with my mum. Only those who've experienced it understand the urgency, the frustration, the feeling of isolation, desperation, anger etc of being ignored by those who block the path to those who can help.
Dougie your thread can help others to understand and it's only through understanding cancer that things will improve.
Please have a better day today. X
Originally Posted by: Caz
Carol, I find it hard to write an adequate amount of praise in your direction. You have been my rock, a corner stone, to try to combat this awful disease. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for opening this thread, which has been hugely beneficial to me, and also all the words of encouragement you have given to me. No words could ever portray how much this has mean't to me. You are wonderful.
The health service, from your experience, and mine, can be far from great at times, but those at the business end, the nurses, some of the doctors, and other ancillary workers do a fine job, so caring, so dedicated. I can't tell you how many times I have received a hug when leaving a ward, they are all modern day hero's. It's the management level where the problems exist I feel, and some of these should be brought to task.
Those members of this forum who have responded to this thread, have also been wonderful, such kindness, such empathy, and although I don't get too involved on a daily level in the forum any more, their contributions have been non the less important to me. I thank you all.
For me, the way i am dealing with this illness, is not to say, hey, I have cancer. To me it's just another ailment, like a cold, flu etc., which has to be faced, and I think to myself, tomorrow will be a better day. I don't hold a dread, because its cancer, it's just another illness to get over. Serious though it is, the battle can be won, and that is my intention. If I fail, well, at least I and all the medical teams I am dealing with have done their best, you can't ask for more than that.
In the words of the old Buddy Holly song (who?, say the younger members) "The sun is out, the sky is blue, there's not a cloud to spoil the view" so I'm going to the cafe in a minute or two ( well at least grant me some poetic licence here), but first, I have to discover the problems of taking a shower, with all this plumbing attached to my manhood. It's all looking a bit forlorn, but I am sure it will be educating.
Have a good day, I'm going to try to do so. Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou.