Hi,

Two things - I have a remitting/relapsing cancer. After chemo I was told I was in complete remission, one of the 13% apparently, who go into remission without a stem cell transplant. i felt no elation and neither did my wife.It was just a case of getting on with the next stage of my life. My daughter, who was with us, was almost angry that we weren't yahooing around the hospital. I've since read of loads of people who felt no such elation, for various reasons, one of which is probably concern about the cancer returning. Some people appear to have a form of PTSD.

Secondly, somebody else's ailments do not diminish yours. You are not responsible for the severity of anyone's condition and you are not responsible for the severity of your own. Don't feel guilty about your lifestyle. Anybody who's had cancer is entitled, in my opinion, to whatever quality of life they're able to achieve. If you feel like it, have a diet exclusively of cream cakes and gin.

Best Regards

Taff

Hi DodgyChick, First, live the way you want! For all the talk about the need for diet, exercise and positive thinking, the plain truth is that we are all fairly helpless, subject to the God of Statistics.  Which sounds negative to many people, but not to me. Realizing that things are beyond my control helps me a lot. If I am feeling low, I do not need to worry about how it is affects my chances of a recurrence, because I know it has no effect at all.  I am positive thinking, eat well and do a lot of exercise. But I am under no illusions that this will make any difference to my prognosis. Where being physically fit will help, however, is helping the body cope if you are unlucky and need further treatment. And thinking positively just makes life more enjoyable!

All us cancer sufferers know the feeling that, after each ache and pain, we immediately think 'is that the cancer?' And it is something we all have to learn to live with.

Will your cancer come back? Will you reach retirement age in 20 years? No-one can answer that definitely. But you can ask your medical team for a prognosis, if you want to know. This prognosis will always be a percentage chance. There are no certainties in this game. xx Harry

Hi. I often feel like this after nearly 8 years since diagnosis. To help myself feel positive I put my war paint on and dress up to go out even for work. It gives my confidence a boost and I feel I can face anything. The positive comments about looking good/ dressed up from people also gives my confidence  and  low mood a boost.

Wear a smile and take your children on an adventure, laugh n make memories. Climb trees together, splash and jump in puddles/sludge, dance in the rain. It's a great way to improve mood without spending money and clothes wash.