Whether you are in watch and wait, in the middle of aggressive treatment, or finished treatment and out the other side with a remission, then anxiety can be a constant companion of the average patient with blood cancer. In fact many people find the period just after treatment the hardest, as it is often “expected” that you will be feeling jubilant after your successful treatment. Yet many report that is the time the shock of the diagnosis itself finally hits them fully. And for some there is a huge sense of loss. It can be a form of bereavement for the healthy self and many of your hopes and dreams for the future.

As this short video makes clear it’s not just the people with blood cancer that need support but their families too:

Someone recently asked how to go about getting support and some information to help them as they face just that challenge of processing what has happened to them.

There are a few articles on here that can help, here are some of them:

The last article is an interview I filmed with a therapist and if you have self funding then booking sessions yourself with someone like her can be incredibly helpful. But If you have a local patient information and support service attached to the hospital, they will offer informal support and some Haematology departments can organise formal counselling at the hospital, or may run a support group.

Calling the Blood Cancer UK helpline can be invaluable or in the USA the LLS helpline. Trained staff are available to just have a chat when you are feeling most stressed.

Finally, we at blood cancer uncensored have a weekly zoom call which we advertise on here, where we offer each other informal peer to peer support, as well as the odd sharing of tears at times and laughter at others. You’d be most welcome to join us! To find the call in details join our Facebook group or email us on bloodcanceruncensored@gmail.com.

Find someone to talk to about how you are feeling. And remember your doctor or nurse is also a good point of contact. If the distress gets unbearable it can also be appropriate to attend an ER / A and E or some other form of local mental health crisis support. Do not suffer alone. And try to act early before your distress gets so bad.