How was your mental state after surgery?

You’ve been through a lot. I had my diagnosis and surgery in fall of 2023. I still cry. Often. Sometimes out of gratitude but mostly out of fear of the unknown and worry. It’s normal. I wish I had a magic spell to fix it but the reality is, you focus on today and look for the happy things. And when you can’t stop crying…then cry. You need the release. Hugs to you

Perfect answer! I was diagnosed with stage 4 marginal zone b cell non Hodgkin's Lymphoma myself and have been symptom free for over two years and recently this past month have been having similar symptoms as I had prior to diagnosis so I'm in fear my cancer has relapsed or I have developed a secondary cancer. I try to stay positive every day and remind myself that each day is a gift . Stay Blessed 🙏❤️

Hi Elsyre,
It's clear from all your posts that you have a lot of empathy. Maybe this is empathy for yourself!
During my first week after surgery, I felt so good, almost ecstatic, that I figured it was the drugs They wore off and not only did I feel more pain the next week, but the euphoria wore off and I'm back to my sometimes gloomy, sometimes cheerful, familiar self. Now it's the third week and I'm in a groove of really slowing down, taking naps, eating well. I have a sharp pain in my side that I'm still medicating with ibuprofen and acetaminophen. I see the surgery NP on Wednesday for follow up. I have many questions for her. Muffy

Good Morning Elyser! It’s good to “hear” from you again! My opinion; You’re fine! I say that because you have been through an emotional as well as physical roller coaster since your diagnosis to now. It, honestly, will probably continue for a while. Yes, the meds contribute to that. Those are some serious meds you are taking. But, also, your body and mind need the release crying gives. It’s one of the ways we release tension, sadness, fear, etc. You’ve had to be so brave going through this. You’ve had to be strong and a fighter! Now you’re probably thinking a lot of what you need to do next to get better and back to the life you want to live. but scared still. Normal!! Happy, sad, scared all at the same time. Appreciative of being alive but already worrying about the future. It’s ALL normal. Crying is your release. I wouldn’t worry about it. Just accept it when it happens and know that you will feel better, in some way, afterward. Maybe even let yourself smile or laugh about it afterward. Your mind and body need to relax for a bit now. As far as the meds, maybe ask your Doctor if there is something else you can take for any pain now. I wanted off those kinds of meds as soon as I got home because I knew they are addictive and I just didn’t want them. They gave me Lyrica, Gabapentin, Hydro Morphone, Robaxin, 800mg Ibuprofen and 500mg Tylenol. After 2 weeks, because you have to slowly get off the heavy ones, I was only taking the Ibuprofen and Tylenol and once in a while the Robaxin.(muscle relaxer). I feel I am a more emotional person now than I used to be, but thats fine, because I also appreciate EVERYTHING, a lot more than I used to. God is Good! We are still here! Hugs and Love to you!❤️🙏

Absobulutely, emotions are at a all time high. My surgery was May 9th but have had 2 other major surgeries since September and crying, anger, impatience and more come to mind.. Major surgery and recovery plays games with our emotions plus not getting rest adds to it maybe.. Hang in there

The diagnosis and surgery is a shock for sure. My family doctor prescribed me Xanex after surgery because I was doing too much crying. LC is just such a scary and crappy diagnosis. It's been 25 years since my LC surgery. Since then i've had numerous scans and 2 or 3 recurrences. And even now I still have days of crying and extreme sadness.

I don't use Xanex (I guess it's called clonazepam now) every day. I go months without using it, but during scan times and treatment times I need it especially in the evenings. Otherwise I'd be sitting on my couch crying my eyes out trying to distract myself by watching TV. LOL. And it hurts. It physically hurts my head to do all that crying. The Xanex type meds help your mind to put the worry and fear on the back burner. You still know you have cancer but you can block the worry to give your body some relief from the stress.

I just have to say I've never had a problem becoming addicted to pills or alcohol. Sugar and chocolate and shopping for clothes are the drugs of my choice. So Xanex was a safe and effective way to take away my crying.