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Meet others living with Head & Neck Cancer: Introduce yourself
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Sep 21 5:27pm | Replies (538)Comment receiving replies
Hi Jon @zeip8288 and welcome to this Head and Neck group. Your story strikes a chord with not only myself but many of us who have had the misfortune of cancer treatments. So I guess the surgery was just too easy so you may as well have a little Chemo and Radiation? Just kidding of course. Glad to hear you are on the uptake and doing better with time. I would suspect you will have issues for a few months to perhaps a couple of years but we learn to live with them and then they seem to go away eventually.
The effects from radiation enlightens us to contemplate what survivors of nuclear bombs or bomb tests must have experienced back in the day. Physically ill as well as pain, taste, digestion, etc all seem to be issues for most.
I'm sure the check-ups will give you pause but try not to think the worst as most likely the news will be good. This will go on for years for most of us and any malady or pain you will for years think the worst, only to find out you have an illness like anyone else and it goes away. I wish you well. Keep in touch on this feed and your input to others will be greatly appreciated.
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Thanks so much for the response. I now realize that there’s just nothing that can prepare one for what I'm experiencing. Physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. All aspects of my life have been significantly impacted. Of course, I'm singing to the choir. Physically, I really didn't think I would survive the other worldly pain and sickness while recovering. After about 4 weeks in, I started to feel a little bit better physically. Then, I crashed so hard emotionally and mentally. Intense anxiety and panic off the charts! Everyday, 24/7. Damn close to debilitating and incapacitating. This went on for a month. Everyday and every second feeling like I was going to completely lose control, flip out, go insane. It was basically one second at a time. I've never been so scared almost every waking moment.
Anyone else experience off the charts anxiety and panic during your recovery? Mayo, thankfully, prescribed some medications that relieved most of the anxiety and panic and is allowing me to sleep.
This has been like a horrible, pain ridden nightmare. It's a damn good thing that I never completely lost all hope!