Coping with emotional effects of having serious illness with high mortality rate.

Asiaprod

What a great xmas prezzy, well done.

empirix

Brilliant news Cathy - have a great Xmas/Holiday

smallpaws

Am home a day early from chemo - I got really good results from my CAT scan, the tumor has shrunk and has not spread, still can not believe it


*distant but audible clapping and cheering from America*

tinkerbell

That's great news Cathy, I hope you have a lovely Christmas and an amazing wedding day. Hope your surgery goes well in the new year.

Takeshi_Kovacs

I wish you the best of luck, and hope you enjoy your special day..

chuckberry

CathyMoran wrote:

Hi,

I was only diagnosed with oesophageal cancer on Monday, am only 32 but the whole emotional effects that it is having on me, my family and friends is huge. I have a very high chance of dying (survival rate of 10% was quoted on the following web site): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3445199.stm

If anyone else is going through something similar or who has seen a loved one go through this I would be greatful. If anyone has any coping techniques that would be great.

Please note - I am strictly asking about the emotional effects of my condition, not about anything else, I have an excellent medical team who are looking after me and trust them for that, but the emotional component of being told that you have a high chance of dying is a totally diiferent issue and it is that which I am asking about now.

Sorry for posting this on PI, I have already told a few people who have been brilliant friends but they have not been through what I am going through.

12 plus years on I am still here! I had major surgery and now my follow ups are once a year.

I was shocked to my core before I reached 30yrs old but time calmed things down over time.

I followed my much loved now sadly departed at a ripe old age Mums philosophy of life "Just get on with it!"

Don't be scaring yourself reading web pages.

Divide that section of your life away and only visit it when you have too. You and all of the things you do are much more important than your disease, treat it with contempt and carry on your life as normal.

Don't let it fill your day. Just get on with life and divert your thinking by doing anything at all outside of the time when you are actively dealing with your condition. remember the disease is a small aspect intruding on you. Don't let it take over your thoughts. As as it enters at an inappropriate time actively seek somthing else to kick it out again.

Good luck

Red Alert

Great stuff Cathy!

Hope your Christmas is a good one - you really deserve it

CathyMoran

Thanks to everyone's support this year, especially over the past few months, you have have been of great help. Taste buds starting to return today which is great:D Merry Christmas everyone

daveg

CathyMoran wrote:

Thanks to everyone's support this year, especially over the past few months, you have have been of great help. Taste buds starting to return today which is great:D Merry Christmas everyone

Hi Cathy. Read your post sometime back and was really sorry to hear about your illness but it's great to hear your therapy is going well. Have a really nice Xmas and best best of luck for 2007.

Fast_Mover

CathyMoran wrote:

Taste buds starting to return today which is great

Pefect timing and all:D

Hope you've such a nice christmas..and an even better wedding..you truly deserve it!

Wishing you health and happiness for 2007..Best of luck with everything!

xx

FranchisePlayer

Have a happy christmas cathy.:D
Hope your op goes okay.

CathyMoran

Well, it has been a long time since I updated here, got married, have been on a holiday, had another PET scan, will be having an endoscopic ultrasound tomorrow morning...but now the big thing is going to be happening very shortly...I am getting my oesophagus removed on Friday, or at least that is the plan.

I must admit, I am petrified, I know the risks and time seems to be going by so fast...the good thing is that if this works I will be cancer free and should be skinny for the rest of my life with a pretty amazing scar to prove that I have survived something major (in some pictures I have seen it looks like a shark bite).

If something happens my brother will post (we do not expect that Shane will as it will be too tough on him)...if I do not get through this I want Shane to find someone else, but only if I do not get through this!

Will be around boards until sometime on Thursday, after that I hope to see you on the other side...

empirix

Cathhy, best of luck on Friday, stay strong - your an inspiration to us all. Look forward to reading your future posts throughout the coming years.

spurious

I look forward to seeing you back posting soon.

iguana

Good luck, we'll all be thinking of you.

Stargal

Cathy I'll be thinking of you on Friday. I really admire you for your courage and being able to talk so openly about everything here on boards. Hope Shane is doing ok too. Looking forward to hearing from you again soon about how you got through it all

aidan_walsh

Best of luck, Cathy.

eviecarwash

Hi Cathy,
I wish you the very very best of luck on Fri and I'll be thinking of you and sending out positive vibes (you never know!..)
You've touched me and you're a true inspiration.

tinkerbell

Hi Cathy, best of luck. We will all be thinking of you. I hope Shane is doing ok as well, it must be so tough on the two of you.

I look forward to seeing your posts after your operation and everything will be ok.

gyppo

Hi Cathy,

I have'nt posted to you before, but I have been following your story.
I think your attitude to your illness is an inspiration to everyone.

I really hope everything goes well for you.

gandalf

Good Luck on Friday, hope all goes well.

LadyJ

Cathy,I know you're going to be fine. You've come this far and you've been so positive, you are going to get through this.

I can only imagine how terrified you must be but fear not, i feel that this is just the beginning of a wonderful life for you.

I hope that you know just how brave you are and what an inspiration you are to all of us.

Good luck.

dame

Best of luck Cathy, will be thinking of you!

bored and tired

hi cathy, i am new to boards so didnt see your thread before, i just wanted to wish you the best of luck on friday, i have just finnished reading postings, and i thought that you are an inspiration to fight with such courage, to get married, to go on holiday, you definately sound like you have the spirit of a winner,
I have had a few demons to beat myself this past year, nothing serious but the best bit of advice i can give you for surgery is that when i had mine few weeks back (2nd in 7months) the surgeon came in to go through again the risks and as soon as he started i told him those were statistics, and it wasnt going to happen to me, I had a firm mind set that everything was going to be ok so it didnt matter what could go wrong, as it just wasnt going to happen

best wishes for the op, and look forward to hearing from YOU in the next few weeks when you are well enough to log back on, you and your new husband and family will be in my thoughts and prayers on Friday,

Kinetic^

Best of luck Cathy.

littlesurfer

Hi Cathy,

This is my first post in this thread although i've been following your progress closely. I'm more of a lurker than anything but i've read your posts on other threads plenty of times before!

I want to wish you the best of luck on friday and i'l definately say a few prayers for you every day until then,.....and after too.

My every wish and thought is with you

x

Lorax

All the best Cathy!

cooker3

Hey Cathy

I have followed this thread for few months, never seen you post anywhere else but feel like I know you from reading this.
Best of luck Friday and hope everything goes well. Look forward to you posting how it went soon!

Sir Oxman

All the very best Cathy

randylonghorn

Cathy, Shane,

all fingers crossed hard!

If it's any small help, I have a cousin who had very serious cancer about 7-8 years ago. At the peak, even her doctors were telling the family to prepare for the worst, and holding out little hope.

Two kids and a new house in the country later, her husband keeps threatening to chain her in the house ... not because he's a chauvinist but because she's so full of energy and involved in so many things that he spends half his life trying to track her down via mobile!

Her "quiet" 30th birthday partya few years back, "for family and a few friends", turned into a 3 day marathon hooley, and I think she is the only one who actually remembers everyone who was there!

A small bit of history which we all hope will repeat ...

NextSteps

Best of luck

littlebug

Cathy,

Here's a little cyber hug

((( ))).

Best wishes

xx

LegacyUser

'Cathy,

I'm just some guy who never signed up on this website - I've no real interest in contributing to most of the discussions but I am curious enough to occasionally come here and read through some topics.
I happened to catch yours a few months ago and you struck me as having the most incredible of attitudes. Inspiring would be more appropriate.
Anyway, without actually know you, you've been in my prayers since I read about all the trouble you've been having and you'll be in them again this week. You'll get through this one and best of luck for a speedy recovery.'

tbh

Hey Cathy -

Looking forward to presenting you with your "I Kicked the Crap out of Cancer" medal soon!

take care,
tbh.

Beruthiel

Well Cathy,
I expect you'll be back on any day now telling us all how well it went for you?
take care of yourself.
a

Drift

Best of luck Cathy, you'll be in my prayers. Lucking forward to seeing you first post afterwards.

I think its fantastic the way you've posted about all of this. It shows remarkable courage and I'm sure it has helped many people in similar situations.

tbh

strength wrote:

Inspiring

quoted for truth.

fits

The very very best of luck.

simu

Cathy, Shane - I hope it goes well on Friday, will be thinking of ye.

ELLIEJ

All the best Cathy, will be rooting for you and looking forward to hearing from you when you have recovered.

Ellie

nesf

simu wrote:

Cathy, Shane - I hope it goes well on Friday, will be thinking of ye.

Ditto.

nudge

The very best of luck honey, as one or three have already pointed out, you are inspiring. Good luck.

r3nu4l

Hi Cathy, best of luck to you and my thoughts will be with you and Shane. Go for it!

koneko

I don't have anything meaningful to add, I just want to say that I'm sure a lot of us will be thinking about you, all the best.

Blush_01

Go n-éirí an t-ádh libh.

free2fly

My thoughts and prayers are with you and Shane. Keep your courage up and your thoughts positive. It does work. A positive attitude has an amazing healing effect and I know that you have that.

Be strong and know that everyone here is pulling for you!

ARGINITE

tbh wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by strength
Inspiring


quoted for truth.

My mum was recently diagnosed with a very mild form of skin cancer, but even that is so scary. I cant imagine how scary this must be for you.

I have stumbled accross this thread a few time in the past and have always been in awe of you, truly inspiring stuff.
I'm sure everthing will work out for the best and that you will be back on boards posting again soon.

Best wishes,
James.

the corpo

Met your husband once before, very nice bloke, and I reckon good things happen to good people, so the very best to you!!

elivsvonchiaing

Met you both at boards beers in 2004. Thought of you both as really sound!

Was really shocked to hear your news.

First person that comes to mind is my grandmother who died when I was 4 y/o. When my father was 7 he was brought to the hospital to say good bye to her. (The doctors didn't give her a snowball's chance in hell!).

In the end the doctors were right - she did die of cancer - its just that their prognosis was out by thirty-something years!

So don't always believe odds given by doctors; or just believe that you are in the 10% that will live!

Wishing you the very best on Friday!

Elivs

Fwaggle

I haven't seen a nicer person on boards, and I wish you all the best.

Thoughts are with you both.