Just diagnosed with Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma: What to expect?

@naturegirl5 , For me it is hard to share my feelings with my friends and family. While they are supportive, they don't seem to grasp that it wasn't just surgery, recovery and done. If I am honest I never realized that prior to my diagnosis either. I don't want to dwell on this, but it is hard not to

I understand your anxiousness from the phone call. I have always been nervous and anxious at medical appointments and I really don't know why.

I was not familiar with "radical acceptance", but that is a fair way to look at the reality. Life is so confusing and down right hard isn't it?

I will do as my doctors' advise too. I had always been healthy prior to this and hadn't required a lot of follow up and frankly tried to avoid unnecessary visits but definitely went when I needed to.

Thank you for sending positive energy for my appointment. I will be honest I am nervous about it. I meant to ask,, but was preoccupied as we covered many issues in just a short period of time. I feel less anxious with these things if I know ahead of time what to expect.

Thank you for being so supportive. I can't imagine how many lives you have changed! I know how grateful I am to have connected here.

@cmb2022 I share my feelings with a few very close friends and yet I can't quite find the words to share how I feel about cancer. I do have one close friend who "gets" me if you know what I mean. She loves me so deep down and knows how to validate my feelings in a way that feels like no other. We've known one another for over 40 years.

I'm selective who I tell about my cancer for the reasons you stated. It's not that it's a big secret. I just don't want to explain how very complex cancer diagnosis and treatment is and that not every cancer is the same.

I've been an anxious person for as long as I can remember. But here's the catch. With this nervousness comes a conscientiousness in my life that got me through school and my work life. We all approach uncertainty differently. I had a total hip replacement at Mayo and was so very appreciative that an education session that was scheduled the day before my surgery. Presumably Mayo "knows" that patients do better when they know what to expect.

Here's a book I like that introduced me to radical acceptance.

Of course you are nervous about your appointment in June. Someone else may say to you "oh, that's so far away, what are you worried about?". Not helpful and I've heard comments like that many times. Being nervous about our cancer surveillance appointments comes with where we are in our lives as cancer survivors. We don't like it but it's there.

Thank you for the compliments. I so appreciate them. And thank you for always asking about me.

@cmb2022 I share my feelings with a few very close friends and yet I can't quite find the words to share how I feel about cancer. I do have one close friend who "gets" me if you know what I mean. She loves me so deep down and knows how to validate my feelings in a way that feels like no other. We've known one another for over 40 years.

I'm selective who I tell about my cancer for the reasons you stated. It's not that it's a big secret. I just don't want to explain how very complex cancer diagnosis and treatment is and that not every cancer is the same.

I've been an anxious person for as long as I can remember. But here's the catch. With this nervousness comes a conscientiousness in my life that got me through school and my work life. We all approach uncertainty differently. I had a total hip replacement at Mayo and was so very appreciative that an education session that was scheduled the day before my surgery. Presumably Mayo "knows" that patients do better when they know what to expect.

Here's a book I like that introduced me to radical acceptance.

Of course you are nervous about your appointment in June. Someone else may say to you "oh, that's so far away, what are you worried about?". Not helpful and I've heard comments like that many times. Being nervous about our cancer surveillance appointments comes with where we are in our lives as cancer survivors. We don't like it but it's there.

Thank you for the compliments. I so appreciate them. And thank you for always asking about me.

@cmb2022 I share my feelings with a few very close friends and yet I can't quite find the words to share how I feel about cancer. I do have one close friend who "gets" me if you know what I mean. She loves me so deep down and knows how to validate my feelings in a way that feels like no other. We've known one another for over 40 years.

I'm selective who I tell about my cancer for the reasons you stated. It's not that it's a big secret. I just don't want to explain how very complex cancer diagnosis and treatment is and that not every cancer is the same.

I've been an anxious person for as long as I can remember. But here's the catch. With this nervousness comes a conscientiousness in my life that got me through school and my work life. We all approach uncertainty differently. I had a total hip replacement at Mayo and was so very appreciative that an education session that was scheduled the day before my surgery. Presumably Mayo "knows" that patients do better when they know what to expect.

Here's a book I like that introduced me to radical acceptance.

Of course you are nervous about your appointment in June. Someone else may say to you "oh, that's so far away, what are you worried about?". Not helpful and I've heard comments like that many times. Being nervous about our cancer surveillance appointments comes with where we are in our lives as cancer survivors. We don't like it but it's there.

Thank you for the compliments. I so appreciate them. And thank you for always asking about me.

I, too, have always been an anxious person, with the accompanying conscientiousness that has served me well. But cancer, of course, is a whole new level of anxiety.
Based on what I've learned, I have about a 20% chance of recurrence; so that's the number that's always in my head -not the 80% chance that I'm fine. Consider this: What if every time you got into your car, there was a 20% chance that you'd have a bad accident. Not unreasonable to be a very nervous driver...
I was hoping that after each good 3 mo. check I could put the fear aside until the next one. Nope.

Really appreciate this conversation about lingering fears after treatment. It's a lot to hear how closely we'll be monitored, and for how long. And I couldn't agree more that dismissive comments are so not helpful! Second the recommendation of Tara Brach's work on radial acceptance 🙂

Really appreciate this conversation about lingering fears after treatment. It's a lot to hear how closely we'll be monitored, and for how long. And I couldn't agree more that dismissive comments are so not helpful! Second the recommendation of Tara Brach's work on radial acceptance 🙂

I, too, have always been an anxious person, with the accompanying conscientiousness that has served me well. But cancer, of course, is a whole new level of anxiety.
Based on what I've learned, I have about a 20% chance of recurrence; so that's the number that's always in my head -not the 80% chance that I'm fine. Consider this: What if every time you got into your car, there was a 20% chance that you'd have a bad accident. Not unreasonable to be a very nervous driver...
I was hoping that after each good 3 mo. check I could put the fear aside until the next one. Nope.

@naturegirl5 , Yes, I felt compelled to share with a few people initially, but pretty much all of them were dismissive of the diagnosis. "Oh, you don't need treatments, you don't look sick, you are able to return to work, etc...." while I don't want to dwell on the situation it is in the back of my head. Even my family has been dismissive. I so appreciate the support that I receive here.

I am so glad that you have a great friend of many years for support.

Right now I don't feel like a cancer survivor. I pray that I will feel that way soon.

How was dinner with your neighbors and you are welcome. I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Oh course I want to know how you are.

Enjoy your Sunday!

@cmb2022. I know some of the folks I told meant well but telling me I don't look sick when I know I'm healing inside did not help me to feel better. I tell myself that these people just didn't know what to say and I guess by saying that they thought they were being helpful. I didn't look like the emaciated cancer patient they expected to see. A few people asked if I knew what caused my cancer. No, and even if I did what difference would that make? The treatment options were and are still the same.

Dinner with our neighbors was wonderful. There was even chocolate cake for dessert. I was so full though that I only ate a very small piece of the cake which is unusual for me. I love chocolate.

I had a relaxing Sunday. I hope you did too.

We are in that very special club of cancer survivors. We can applaud one another for not ever giving up hope.