A blog by Ronny Allan

This too shall pass

This too shall pass


If you’ve heard that phrase before, you’re not alone.  The phrase is rooted in older Persian and Buddhist teachings, and widely accepted as a testament to the impermanence of all things.  Many famous people have used this phrase including Abraham Lincoln, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro and King Solomon.  I’ve also seen various cancer bloggers use it many times.  I’ve used it few times too, mainly for quick Facebook updates.

This has been both an exciting year but also so far, a ‘this too shall pass’ moment in March. Exciting because I was on the holiday of a lifetime for an entire 29 days from 19th January.  Chris and I caught the ‘sniffles’ including a cough near the end of that holiday and it took a further 4 weeks after we got  back for those sniffles and cough to disappear completely.  For those wondering what ‘sniffles’ are, think of the word ‘lurgi’ – meaning some sort of bug that you never find out what it actually was.  It wasn’t covid, perhaps it was a plain cold, perhaps it was flu, who knows. Chris and I went through every med in the chemist over those 4 weeks, some things helped, most did not. 

But that was not all. …………

Just at the ‘lurgi’ did a runner, another problem came along for me, potentially more sinister, and something I am just not used to. I considered many overlaps with my NET. On 11th March, I developed a pain in my right lumbar region, my initial thoughts were that it was muscular/nerve (because it seemed to ‘tug’ a bit when twisting my body), a common issue not only caused by muscle strains from lifting or poor posture but presents when the body twists in either direction.  It seemed a good fit.  I was connecting it to twisting based on other past twinges on that right side.  But then it started to get very painful.

On 12th March, the pain got worse and radiated around the back at one point.  My enquiring mind then turned elsewhere.  I was slightly constipated on the 11th/12 March, so I considered the potential beginning of a bowel obstruction. I was also sensing some mild nausea reinforcing those thoughts.  My well known ‘Poker Face‘ slipped a bit, that means I’m worried! 

When it radiated around the back, I also considered a kidney issue given the back pain.  I have had an 8mm calculus in my right kidney for years and although I was assured it was not in the region which has a risk of entering the urinary system, the pain was not something I had experienced before. I was peeing OK, that was a positive.  I also have a large cyst on the same kidney which was incidentally found at diagnosis and has grown a bit since.

I started taking regular paracetamol and using ‘wheatie bags’ (those heat pads seemed more efficient than the paracetamol).  This helped but the pain kept coming back over the next few days and I was quite uncomfortable and my sleep was being disturbed! By this time it was the weekend (these things always happen at the weekend!). I ‘soldiered’ on that weekend, some thoughts of an A&E visit crossed my mind. 

On Monday 16th March, I managed to get a same day appointment with my GP, often more difficult than you think nowadays.  Perhaps my medically worded explanation and clinical history helped.  The GP considered all differentials, dismissing none of them.  That said, by this stage, I had a couple of bowel movements and although I still felt slightly nauseous, I had not been sick.  I told him the bowel obstruction had gone right down the list, he agreed.  He did seem to focus on the kidney though.  A urine test was OK except I had microscopic blood showing.  Both the microscopic blood and the presence of a large kidney cyst pointed to a potential source of the microscopic blood.  He gave me antibiotics just in case I had an infection and would also write to my NET Oncologist with an update given the reference on several surveillance scans over the years.  As part of the examination, he gave my right lumber area a good prod and the pain came back the following day (cue more paracetamol and heat pads).  Happily, the pain on 17th March, the day after seeing the GP, was the last.  Although I’m back to the twinges on the right side.  My initial theory of something muscular is back! I took my final antibiotic on 22nd March – things are improving already.  In my opinion, I don’t believe I had a kidney infection but the GP did say the antibiotics were precautionary.  Time appears to have been the most obvious healing factor (…. once again).   I also suffered some side effects of the antibiotics – let’s just say that side effect confirmed there was no intestinal blockage! 

Onwards and upwards.  The major pain has gone, perhaps there was a ‘pinch point’ in my bowel on the right side (suggested by my NET Nurse) and normal flow is back.  That said, I still have some discomfort in the right hand side, raising the possibility of continue lumbar issues (muscular/nerve) but the pain is nothing to write home about. I am doing daily back exercises and reviewing low vs high residue to cover that suggested cause.  

This too shall pass! 

One of the things I learned early on is that after a cancer diagnosis, you suddenly become very aware of issues with your body that you might have ignored before diagnosis.  Even after 15 years, the alertness does not fade.  That shift in bodily awareness after a cancer diagnosis is one of the most universal; and least talked‑about parts of the experience. It’s not hypochondria and it’s not overreaction; it’s the brain doing what it does under threat, scanning for danger and noticing things that would once have slipped under the radar. That heightened vigilance can be exhausting, but it’s also deeply human.

Why the mind becomes hyper‑attuned

  • A diagnosis rewires attention. The brain prioritises anything that might signal risk, so sensations that were once background noise suddenly feel amplified.

  • Uncertainty fuels monitoring. When you don’t know what’s significant and what isn’t, everything feels like it might matter.

  • The emotional memory of the diagnosis lingers. Even after treatment stabilises, the body keeps a kind of “watchfulness” that takes time to soften.

How this plays out day to day

  • A twinge you’d have ignored before now triggers a moment of “Is this something?”

  • Normal fluctuation such as digestion, aches, fatigue, all feel suspicious because the baseline has changed.

  • Even when logic says it’s probably nothing, the emotional response arrives first.

Ronny

p.s. thanks for supporting my blog and Facebook pages during this period, I’m still on target.

p.p.s.  6 mile walk 22nd March, business as usual is almost back!


Disclaimer

I am not a doctor or any form of medical professional, practitioner or counsellor. None of the information on my website, or linked to my website(s), or conveyed by me on any social media or presentation, should be interpreted as medical advice given or advised by me.

Neither should any post or comment made by a follower or member of my private group be assumed to be medical advice, even if that person is a healthcare professional.

Please also note that mention of a clinical service, trial/study or therapy does not constitute an endorsement of that service, trial/study or therapy by Ronny Allan, the information is provided for education and awareness purposes and/or related to Ronny Allan’s own patient experience. This element of the disclaimer includes any complementary medicine, non-prescription over the counter drugs and supplements such as vitamins and minerals.


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By Ronny Allan

Ronny Allan is a 3 x award-winning accredited patient leader advocating internationally for Neuroendocrine Cancer and all other cancer patients generally. Check out his Social Media accounts including Facebook, BlueSky, WhatsApp, Instagram and and X.

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