This is truly well said and well written TUL24. I hope you won't mind but I have changed the title of your thread from 'blood test results' to 'Life after cancer - what they don't tell you' as it goes really well with your beautiful text. 

I am sure many on our forum will identify with every single word you wrote. I loved "you have the patience of the proverbial saint", very witty and very true!

Being calmer and less likely to blow a gasket is certainly a great asset in life :) and you're right it's important for cancer survivors like yourself to appreciate how awesome you all are!

I think you're incredible ;)

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Tul! I agree with all you said and would add a couple of my own. Get used to everyone telling you how glad you must be that your treatment is over. This is so not true. The well publicised chemo and radiotherapy are done but the treatment is far from over and I actually feel worse on letrozole than I did with chemo. I swear the next person who tells me how brave I am will not like my response!! I am not brave I am just plodding on, dealing day by day with the *** hand I have been dealt. What else am I supposed to do? Lay down and die? Only another cancer traveller can know the road we tread, the twists and turns, the many bumps along the way. Keep moving forward with hope, Mog, xx

Thank you both. Moggymad62, I agree about being brave. Nope. I did what I was told.

Well, I was right to be worried about my last set of blood tests.  My doctor confirmed yesterday that I hve  Rheumatoid Arthritis.  I've had signs and symptoms since I had chemo in 2020, so yeah, now I'm living with that.  I've cried a lot in the last 24 hours, because cancer is fixable, this isn't.  Got my smear test and mammograms next week, so fingers crossed they go ok.  It couldn't be any worse......:silly:

Hi Tul24, so sorry to hear of your rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, that's really rotten news. I had my first annual check up mammogram last week and was told not to expect the results for at least 6 weeks. Hopefully your wait for your results won't be that long. Can't remember now if you are taking the hormone suppressants but I am and have very painful joints from that. The pain is worst in my hands, not ideal as I live alone and am now struggling to open stuff. Even taking the top of the milk hurts!! Switching drugs to see if that helps. Cancer really is the gift that keeps on giving, it doesn't come alone that's for sure. Really hope your results are quick to come and show all is well, thinking of you, xxMog

Hi Mog

Ugh, Letrozole! I hear you! I've changed my hormone.inhibitors to Anastrozole and it's actually a lot better. Letrozole made me feel blooming awful. Started that in September 21 and finally changed it February this year. Love all of the above sentiments. We march on

Hello Tul, I totally agree with everything you say, you managed to make me laugh and cry all in one go.Being told you are a star for what you have been through, no the Surgeon and all the other NHS staff involved were the stars, my Wife is the star for being there at my side. Being brave for going through what you went through, er no I didn't have a choice, being brave was Landing on the beaches in Normandy on D day.

Ladies 

loving the honesty on this thread , cancer  surely changed my life forever , free now hopefully forever but it’s a bullet that never really leaves us for sure 

good luck to you all love Lara x 

“ … and end up on disciplinary procedures for absence.“

Cancer is covered by disability discrimination legislation. Therefore your employers are required by law to make reasonable adjustments, including for the impact of the treatment compromising your immune system.

Sadly, I’m no calmer and I’m more likely to blow a gasket when I see how badly cancer services have deteriorated since I was diagnosed almost ten years ago. I channel this into my role as a CRUK Campaigns Ambassador - a role I’d recommend to anyone who has walked this way. Who better to take our arguments to politicians than people who are experts by experience? 

None of us feel brave and I absolutely hate the term “cancer warriors”. Most of us muddle through on a mixture of blind optimism and limited options. I’ve been having six-monthly CT scans for 9 years on a watch and wait post chemo regime. Yes, I feel incredibly lucky but that background health anxiety never goes away and peaks every six months. I know stage 4 cancer never really goes away and that I’m almost certain to relapse eventually. That said, I’ve so far unexpectedly had nine good years of life with my wife and family for which I can only thank the NHS and the anonymous people who researched and developed the chemo to which my body responded so well. 

Good luck!

Dave

Sorry to hear that Letrozol does not work for some people.  When I first took it my body complained.  But I was also taking a high blood pressure pill.  Once I had changed the high blood pressure pill my body then settled down and accepted the Letrozol.  But then different bodies accept different medications.  Agree with the dislike of being called 'brave', 'warriors' etc, one just carries on with life.  But my standard, pre-cancer, expression of 'Alive and kicking' has rather more meaning now.  However I am under orders, from my son, I am not allowed to die for 40 years.  He does not like clearing the loft!