PTSD

erinm216

Anyone experience Post Traumatic Stress after treatment?

My therapist says it's common.  I feel like I am the only one that is feeling this way.

ziggypop

I didn't but I read that many women do - the good thing is that for most of those women it goes away within about a month's time(according to the article). How far out from treatment are you?

Lily55

YES ME took ages to find a trauma therapist but it has helped.......it IS normal but if its full PTSD will take longer than a month to recover from, good luck

wrenn

i started this journey with PTSD and it is much worse now.  PTSD is very hard to fix and takes a long time with good therapy.

peacestrength

You're not alone.

erinm216

I love you ladies!   I was told that 1/3 survivors experience it.

I am only 6 weeks from my last surgery so I am fairly new to survivorship. Matter of fact I have my first tests and Onco visits since my Mastecomy next week.  I am so scared they will find cancer in my blood tests

Lily what did treatment with your counselor entail?  Right now mine just wants me to take a break from Cancer ( yeah right) and be kind to myself and let the emotions flow.   That is really hard to wrap my head around now.

BrooksideVT

Me too--PTSD.  I think it was my absolute horror of radiation that did it.  The radiation NP was wonderful in helping me figure out what was happening.  She said it might last up to six months, but it took a year. I guess there's a bit left, but boy, have I made great strides!

Lily55

Erin, theres a difference between counselling and trauma therapy, this one does not seem to have trauma experience if that is her recommendation. You are still in the midst of finding out what is going on cancer wise and in shock, how can you just put it to one side?  

Try being kind and accepting its ok to feel whatever you feel and allow yourself chunks of time to let go, like an hour of misery or crying but then make yourself do something else. Have a few times each day to let go .....shock and trauma is an energy that needs to come out

farmerlucy

Me too! Started at about two months, much better by six mos out but I still don't handle anxiety like I used to. I literally start shaking again w anxiety. My PCP put me on anti anxiety meds, an antidepressant and I met with a counselor through my church. On the main pages of BCO there are some links to PTSD info. It is very common. I did anti anxiety med (klonopin) for about nine months. I'm still on Effexor. You are definitely not alone. PM me anytime if I can help. 

Anonymous

Add me to the list!  I take anxiety meds too but it doesn't help things like memory and concentration for me. I am 1 yr ans 4 months out from the mastectomy.  I did not have chemo but 2 weeks after my diagnosis, I was hospitalized for internal bleeding and the rush was on to find the source.  Procedure after procedure was done.  They finally found an AVM, aterial venal malformation in my upper small bowel.  One procedure did not stop it and finally surgery had to be done to remove 10 inches of my small bowel.  That surgery caused my scheduled mastectomy to be delayed.  It was done 5 weeks after the bowel surgery.  Having the mastectomy caused a blockage in my bowel and I spent another weekend in the hospital waiting to see if it would resolve, which thankfully, it did. Otherwise, it would have meant another surgery and probably an ostomy.  I also had a mass on one ovary that had to be seen about but the gyn onc wanted to take a wait and see approach, which we did for 6 months.  It was found to have doubled in size in those 6 months and I had a complete hysterectomy.  Thankfully, everything was benign.        

     The weird thing is that I felt more thankful to be alive than anything else at that time.  I think I was near death the day that the bowel surgery took place because I was bleeding a lot and by the time they took me out of the room, I was no longer aware of anything.  I had been losing blood slowly up to that point, but I awoke at 4 am that morning bleeding heavily and barely got myself from the potty chair and back into bed.  The dr was called in and made the final decision to do the surgery without hesitation.  I remember thinking, "Thank God."   But it was 9:45 am or later before I was taken from the room.  That's the last thing I remember, my husband saying, "Why aren't they here to take her to surgery, they said 9 am and it's 9:45."

     I had not consider PTSD until last summer when my mom and brother commented to me that they had noticed me being really forgetful.  They were concerned that the bc might have spread to my brain.  I told them I would tell the dr and she agreed that it well could be PTSD.  I was already taking an antianxiety and depression meds, so we left it alone.  I am still somewhat forgetful but I don't think it is as bad.  I have also read that the aromatase inhibitor can affect memory and concentration, somewhat like chemo brain does.

  Anxiety hits me the hardest at appointment time, when I have to see the oncologist or have tests and from what i have read and heard from friends who've been through it, that is the norm and probably always will be.  My prognosis is good but the fear of it recurring overshadows it when those times arise. I've read having a friend go with you helps so I think I will do that next time, which is about 8 weeks away.  You see, I am counting the weeks!  I am somewhat anxious just thinking about it!

farmerlucy

Holy Cow teri! Girl you have been through it. I'm glad you came through everything ok!