Cancer and depression: How do you cope?

I cannot relate with your suffering but I can talk to you privately and ease your mind. As long as I am around you will not suffer without someone being there for you.

@Fuzzy13 Hi Fuzzy13, thank you for opening this discussion. I've moved it to our "Living with cancer" for more visibility. Let me tag some other members who are also living with cancer and may understand how you're feeling.

Hi everyone, how are you today? Have you struggled with depression at the same time as your cancer diagnosis? How did you cope with it? Can you share any words of advice or support with Fuzzy13?
@Shay0730‍ @lori49‍ @Imgeena‍ @DDTaylor‍ @Ariel1124‍ @hsampson‍ @MaryAnnMcK‍ @Sharon12!‍ @Maryitiswhatitis‍ @Meechieben‍ @vlp1120‍ @Lrains44‍ @MOJO13‍ @Kmagill‍ @tx775204‍ @Wvmahaney52‍ 

Feel free to share here, we're all here to help one another!

Take care,
Courtney

I do not suffer with depression daily, I do have episodes of sadness, frustration and embarrassment. Running to the bathroom, gas, having to be near a bathroom , having to wear depends. It limits spontaneity in life. I also have retinitis pigmentosa,which means at this time I’m legally blind and eventually may go totally blind, there is no cure ,no treatment. So a lot to handle. I try to live everyday in the moment, find joy in each day and live by my motto, you do what you have to do. I’ve been in therapy for awhile and only stopped this month. Enjoy the things that make you happy, reduce stress, positive thinking, I give myself small daily tasks to feel a sense of accomplishment. I try to stay mobile and wLk in the park for VIT D and exercise. Laugh and love.

Another motto of mine comes from a lyric in a Dave Matthews song, “The future is no place to place your better days” 

@Vlmatheis Thank you for sharing your story with us, those sound like some great techniques to cope! 

I understand how you all feel..... There are days I just want to stop!! The battle is just too hard at times... I made it through chimo, surgery, and nightmares that came with it.. Every time I go to the doctor there is something new that now has to be addressed... the nightmare never stops... I am along in this battle, I can live with the pain of cancer but with it has done to my body I can't understand why... I shower in the dark, never use a mirror, the stress alone of getting dress is a 2hr battle... nothing fits whats left of my body.. Covid keeps me in lock down so I can't even go and try to fined something to ware...  Oh sorry let explain, I took 18 mos of chimo in 5 mos.. to stop the cancer long enough to have surgery.. I lost 148 lbs in that 5 mos. and hair on my body..turned white and fell out 3wks after the first dose.. now I am trying to make a size 26/28 fit a size 10/12 bag of skin.. when this started I was a 40H bra, now I am 36 DDD on the left and maybe a B/C on the right.. My surgery was in January 2020.  last chimo December 2019.. Not a candidate for Radiation, body hair started returning in May 2020, use of fingers is slowly returning nails are clear of infection and starting to grow. My skin still looks like my dad was a snake...

I just turned 56 on the 16th of  Sept. 2019  and this is what I was given: A. RIGHT BREAST, CENTRAL TO NIPPLE, ULTRASOUND GUIDED CORE NEEDLE BIOPSY:
- INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA, GRADE 4.
B. RIGHT BREAST, 12 O'CLOCK, ULTRASOUND GUIDED CORE NEEDLE BIOPSY:
- INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA, GRADE 4.
C. RIGHT AXILLARY LYMPH NODE, ULTRASOUND GUIDED CORE NEEDLE BIOPSY:
- LYMPH NODE, NEGATIVE FOR MALIGNANCY. 

 There are days I wish I had not did anything about the cancer.. I would have Casket real good then....

Thanks,

Lost

My name is Michelle. I went to the cardiologist in May after reading that Black women suffer from heart disease at a higher rate because they often don't get the heart check up. I am a person that's adamant about staying on top of my health. Yearly check ups are not missed. I went to the cardiologist. My treadmill test was excellent and the blood test showed 0% plaque in my arteries but they found a mass in my lung. After three Biopsies and several tests, I was diagnosed with a Neuro Endocrine Lung Tumor. It's only 1% of all lung tumors it's so rare. I have very good insurance with Cigna but due to its rarity, they don't want to pay for the chemo drugs (oral). I've been paying AFLAC insurance (cancer policy) since 1992 and they don't want to pay either. They continue to tell me that I'm being treated for something other than cancer. How crazy is that?????? At any rate, when it all works out, I'll do 4 rounds of oral chemo, 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. If there is anyone out there with a Neuro Endocrine Lung Tumor, I would love to hear from you. My prayers are with all that are dealing with this. Be strong, positive and prayerful and we'll all get through this.

I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer about 2017. I am now in remission. I suffer from depression almost on a daily basis. I don't stay depressed for very long because I tend to laugh sometimes. I will be taking anastrozole for 5 years. I am doing fine.

I’m having a really rough day emotionally.  It’s so hard to fight cancer alone.  I’ve tried to share info with people in my life about it because it’s not something many have heard of, Neuroendocrine cancer, but since they can’t see it, it’s like it doesn’t exist.  I wish I could just live life and act like I’m not in such pain and I’m so fatigued I end up in bed most of every day.  If I feel a little better and try to participate in life, like do laundry etc, then I’m in bed for 2 days after due to pain.  I’m just really low today, I’m sorry for my pity party. 

@Itsgracie I totally get it - if you don't have a "common" cancer or normal cancer journey people question your anxiety about it. I have this rare genetic cancer syndrome - Lynch Syndrome and we keep cutting out body parts to prevent cancer. I am a previvor of endometrial cancer and soon to be previvor or survivor of ovarian cancer - ovaries come out and we biopsy next friday. Ironically colon cancer is top of the list but I only got surgery there because of grade 3 and one grade 4 Hemorrhoids but no colon cancer yet. On top of that last year I couldn't get out of bed for two months and everyone was like you are lazy - no I was fighting EIN which is premalignant endometrial cancer - if we hadn't taken out my uterus I would not be here typing now. Everyone wants to dismiss it in my family - they are like well you didn't have cancer so I get it. Plus a chance I have Addison's on top of all this which has to do with adrenal glands - it is a lot. Not sure if this helps but at least reach out here - https://moffitt.org/cancers/neuroendocrine-tumor/your-neuroendocrine-tumor-specialists/ and see if they can't help you with the paperwork your insurance might need to justify a specialist. Might just be you need a certain test to validate. I have had similar hoops to jump through. Don't give up - cancer sucks for sure and I get it.