Hi Annie
Welcome to the forum. I think you will benefit from being here. It's a good place to cry, complain, speak your mind and ... rejoice. Even for just a good read.
I can't give you guidance on your specific cancer. Mine was lower, hopefully all gone now. Chemo is now teaching me some new life lessons.
I can offer guidance from my own experience though. My life has changed. Normal turned upside down for me. I went though ever emotion that's been written about (good and bad). I'm 47 and faced the possibility of dying young. Good news is that I'm not. My cancer is now removed and chemotherapy is my insurance policy. As are regular checkups for the rest of my life. All this sounds like a rough ride and I won't sugar coat it. As I often ride in rally cars and cross busy streets, i've always been at risk of dying young. However, I've learnt a lot from one of my friends on this forum, Claire. She looks at it as being a gift, which has resonated with me. We get to look at life from a different angle and it has been rewarding. You look forward with an appreciation of life that the healthy do not possess. Mostly, what you'll see is this overwhelmed compassion from people around you. And this is where life changes. You'll need to stop being the backbone of your family and circle of friends. Just focus on your healing. I can't speak from everyone's perspective but I'm overwhelmed. I have been inundated with support from friends, family, medical staff, community support and... this forum.
I used to hate being the weak one. Push through the pain. Don't ask for help. I can do this on my own. Bottle everything up. One of my nurses advised me to stop that and let people help me because they want to and I need it. It's been a profound change to my life.
I hope this helps. I hope you are surrounded by loved ones to help you. All the best with your results and treatment.
Cheers
Phil
