I am done with my first week of treatment (chemorads), and am an emotional wreck to say the least. If I look at my kids pictures I cry, and can’t help but think that treatment may not work. It’s been such an emotional roller coaster for me, since receiving my diagnosis. I have been nauseas, tired, sad and just not myself. Any tips to get through this hard time?
You’re emotions will be all over the place. Sleep when you want, eat what you want. Nice gentle walks. If you drink have a wee glass of your fav one. Avoid google.
The treatment will work! Imagine it doing so right now. Killing those horrible cells. I firmly believe positive thinking helps.
Big hugs xxxx
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I’m 100% with Shammy on this one! X
Thanks for the response. My emotions are all over the place. I can’t help but cry every time I’m alone, and just feel down in the dumps a bit. I just wish I could run around with my kids, and lay with my sick toddler (he had a fever so we had to send him to grandmas which broke my heart). I just can’t wait to beat this!!! 5 more weeks… ahhh!!!
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It’s going to feel like a long time and you may feel worse before you feel better - but from what many people have said you will get into the swing of things, and you can cultivate a positive attitude to the machine for the radiotherapy because they truly are amazing. I used to ask the radiographers a little question about the system each time, so I could understand what was going on with all the screens as well. It’s actually very reassuring when you realise how precise and targeted the radiation is, and think of it blitzing those tumours into nothingness. X
Thanks Jacks… you’re the best. You’re like the Jo’s forum therapist. I am going to take your advice and ask the gals at radiation. The machine is very fancy. And chemo too… it’s all pretty scientific and amazing. I had a mini freak out earlier because I had some bleeding, but I think it was my period (maybe my last ever, who knows?) and oddly enough all my other treatment symptoms went away when menstrual cramps set in. Hopefully that’s all it is. It would probably explain my big ol cry this morning. Hormones, cancer, treatment, it’s a lot to take in. This forum makes it a little easier though, so I am so grateful.
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This may sound ridiculous, and you might think I sound like an absolute nut job! I’d do ridiculous things like… count the ceiling tiles in the radiotherapy suite. Talk to the machine, tell it to zap the little b*****d! Ask the radiographer to play music loudly. Plus im a real peoplè watcher. Id check out who was in the waiting room. Listen to thier conversations etc.
You’ll find little quirky ways to cope!
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That’s sounds like me. My radio therapist realised the first week that I was a music fan by my collection of band shirts.
It got so I wore a different one each day and he would play whichever band it was.
Really made it bearable, luckily we had similar taste in music. Whatever gets you through it
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Hi Hayhay10,
Week 1 was the worst for me too, i also put a post on here asking similar questions about the first week.
It does get easier the further you get into the treatment. Once you get to week 3 it seems to fly by.
Like the others have said sleep and eat what and when you want and try to stay away from Dr Google. On my machine the screen above me has clouds on it and i usually see how many faces i can count in them while the machine does its job haha. That gets me through it.
Im about to start week 6 of my treatment, im counting down the days until i finish haha.
Good luck with the next few weeks, hope it all goes well xx
Hi Amy,
Ugh yes I’ve sworn off google since the initial diagnosis. Sometimes even stories on here are tough for the soul. I hate seeing lovely ladies going through such a hard time, and it scares me for myself. I’m glad I’m not the only one tapped out by week 1. It’s gotten a little better over the weekend, probably because I stayed in and slept so much, and started my period (I think?) so those symptoms outweighed my other. I’m having the hardest time emotionally… I can’t get the “what if it doesn’t work” out of my head, and I cry whenever I think of my little boys without their mama. It’s too much. I wish I could get that negative thought out of my head! I like you have a metal-ish taste in my mouth but luckily I’ve been able to eat this week. And I’ve drank a lot of water so hopefully I can keep that up. It sounds like you’re almost done with treatment? Congrats!
Hi @Hayhay10, Try to be gentle with yourself about the thoughts and feelings that you are having. They don’t sound like “negative thoughts” to me - just very human ones considering what you are going through. You need to allow yourself to grieve a little - I am sure we all have in one way or another. It is easier and healthier to stay as hopeful as you can and there is plenty of evidence to support the fact that cervical cancer is a very treatable disease. You will find a way to get through the treatment and you aren’t alone. The time will go quickly.
In terms of practical strategies to get your mind on other things during treatment - I also got interested in the radiation machine - such cool science involved! We are so lucky to have access to such amazing technology - not everyone in the world does, so it made me feel grateful during treatment.
Second thing was I really embraced the countdown! I sent a celebratory text after each treatment completed. My sister and I did a lot of “chipper” workouts together when I was healthy - an awful workout that we could only chip away at to be finished - so we celebrated each treatment finished of the worst chipper ever!
Hi Hayhay10,
I haven’t got any children so I wont pretend I know how that feels, i can only imagine how hard it is for you. But keep telling yourself it will work and plan some fun things for you and your boys to do when you are better. This treatment is hard but it works. Yours emotions are bound to be all over the place you can blame the good old hormones for that 
but just think in a few weeks time it will be over.
O that metal taste was awful! Its eased off a bit now ive stopped chemo. I got covid the first week of my treatment so that didnt help either haha.
Yeah im almost done now, ive got 10 sessions of extra radiotherapy to do then im done.
Hopefully the next 2 weeks go fast for us both 
xx
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