Letting Go of Fear After Facing Cancer
- Fox 59 news anchor Lindy Thackston, 43, says she has reached a “big milestone” on her healing journey from colorectal cancer: Not living in fear of recurrence.
- In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Thackston discussed those fears of her cancer coming back, and how difficult it was going through testing, which is often referred to as “scanxiety” in the cancer community, as many survivors go through this worry or trauma after all they’ve endured.
- Surrounding yourself with support is critical in helping you through those darker moments. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a mental health specialist as well, as they can provide healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety — from staying busy and goal-focused to performing breathing exercises and other meditation methods to help keep those negative thoughts at bay.
Colorectal cancer, also referred to as rectal cancer or colon cancer depending on where it starts, is a disease where cells in the rectum or colon grow out of control.
Read More“And that was the first time I experienced the look people give you when you’ll likely die,” she recalled of the overwhelming experience.
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“The next 19 months feels 20 years ago in some ways and 2 days ago in others,” she continued. “I learned a lot about myself and I learned A LOT about the goodness and generosity of people. I also got to see what a great man my husband is. I would have died without him. And that’s not a lie.”
“Most days it’s hard not to cry when I look at Lachlan and hear his sweet voice,” she added of her son, now 8. “There are no words to describe how I felt looking at him 4 years ago on this day. By saying all this, I hope I can inspire your life in some way.”
“Thank you for lifting me and my family up, still to this very day. Among a million things, you made the meals, mowed our lawn, prayed for/encouraged us day and night, and kept me going mentally and physically.”
“I won’t lie… I still physically hurt in some way every day. I still have my port and get labs and scans quite a bit. But in the last 6 months or so, I hit a big milestone by truly not living in fear of recurrence. I’ve even missed a couple doc appointments because I forgot, which he said I’d do and he wouldn’t be mad because it means I’m getting better.”
Ending on a lighter note, the broadcast journalist quipped, “And the viewer hate mail picked up again which for sure means I’m healthy again.”
Lindy Thackston’s Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis
Lindy Thackston was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in May 2020.
She went public with her health news at the time, as well as her treatment plan, and kept her fans and followers informed along the way. Thackston had 10 chemotherapy treatments and completed her infusions in spring of 2021.
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Later that year, she shared that her cancer had metastasized, or spread, to her left lung. “I am now technically stage four, but the good news is, my oncologists say it’s curable.”
RELATED: Fox Anchor Lindy Thackston Says She Had Half of Her Left Lung Removed During Latest Cancer Surgery
Luckily, Thackston’s surgery on her lung was a success, which led to this current state of being deemed cancer-free.
Living With Fear of Cancer Coming Back
In an interview with SurvivorNet in February 2022, Thackston discussed fears of her cancer coming back, and how difficult it was going through testing, which is often referred to as “scanxiety” in the cancer community, as many survivors go through this worry or trauma after all they’ve endured.
But in time, it does get easier, like Thackston just announced.
Being an advocate for mental health, she believes it’s important to talk these things through. Acknowledging that it’s not the “positive attitude you’re supposed to have, but cancer does a lot to you mentally, and now that I’ve come out of a two-year fight from it, it’s almost more mentally difficult now, because you’re going, ‘Wow, what just happened?’ and you’re constantly worried it (the cancer) could come back.”
Supportive Communities Through Cancer
Having a supportive community helping you through these darker moments is critical.
“I’m in a much better place than I was, but I do still have a lot of fatigue,” Thackston had said at the time, noting she also dealt with survivor’s guilt.
“It’s been a couple of years that I’ve had a couple friends pass away (from cancer), and, you know, I have friends who continue to get bad news and it doesn’t look good for them.”
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In an earlier interview, ovarian cancer survivor Beverly Reeves stressed how important it is to have a loving community lifting you up during cancer.
“If I had one piece of advice for someone who had just been diagnosed with cancer, it would be to get a strong support group together. Get your close friends. If you’re connected to a faith community, get your faith community.”
‘Faith, Family, and Friends’ Helped Beverly Reeves Get Through Cancer Treatment
“Get your family,” Reeves said. “Let them know what’s going on and let them help you. And sometimes that’s the most difficult thing to do, but just know that they are there. If they love you, they’re there to help you. And don’t be embarrassed.”
She continued, “Because this is a cancer that not a lot of people want to talk about. But it’s real and we need to talk about it, and we do need that help. So talk to your family and your friends and your faith community, and get that network together so they can support you and be there for you.”
In addition to surrounding yourself with loved ones, don’t be afraid to reach out to a mental health specialist, as they can provide healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety — from staying busy and goal-focused to performing breathing exercises and other meditation methods to help keep those negative thoughts at bay.
When Colorectal Cancer Comes Back
What can you do if your colorectal cancer, or colon cancer, comes back? With stage 1 and 2 colon cancer, it’s rare that the cancer will recur after it’s removed with surgery. Recurrences are more common with later stages, like in Thackston’s case, which is the reason doctors will often recommend chemotherapy after surgery for stage 3 colon cancer (and high risk stage 2).
If this type of cancer is going to recur, it will most commonly happen within the first two years, Dr. Heather Yeo, colorectal surgeon and surgical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, previously told SurvivorNet.
The way doctors attempt to manage these cancers will depend on the location of the recurrence and how quickly it occurred. If it comes back in multiple areas, this suggests a more aggressive disease and chemotherapy will likely be recommended.
“The reason that we give adjuvant chemotherapy, or chemotherapy after surgery in stage 3 is that even though we’ve cut out all the tumor that we can see, there are probably some cells that we can’t see somewhere in the body,” Yeo said. “And so that’s what the chemotherapy is for.”
When Colon Cancer Comes Back: Understanding the Options
“Some of the time the chemotherapy prevents the cancer from coming back or spreading. But sometimes it does, and those patients get recurrent cancer,” she added.
Bottom line, though it’s often easier said than done, try not to worry about a recurrence unless you have been told you have a recurrence, and if you do, never lose hope. Talk about your feelings with your doctor and loved ones, and be sure to stay up to date on your testing so that if an issue does arise, your care team will be on top of it.
Contributing: SurvivorNet staff
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