Beverley Callard’s cancer battle has left the actress feeling “dreadful” after she completed her radiotherapy treatment.
The former Coronation Street star, 69, shared a candid update with fans on Instagram. She said the days after treatment hit her harder than she expected.
Last week, Beverley revealed she had finished all 10 of her radiotherapy sessions. Her latest message showed the physical toll had not eased.
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Beverley Callard cancer update exposed the part she did not expect
Speaking from her bed, Beverley admitted she had felt optimistic at first. She soon realised the worst effects had not passed.
She said: “Well, what a weekend. I’ve finished radiotherapy for now, last Thursday. And in my naivety I thought, ‘well that’s great.'”
She added: “More often than not, I’ve done really well. Sometimes feeling a bit poorly and etcetera, but not too bad at all.”
Then came the difficult weekend. Beverley told followers: “This weekend, oh my god, I’ve felt dreadful. My skin on my chest and everywhere is now so sore.”
She also said: “I’m putting all sorts of things on. Aloe vera, loads of lotions and potions, and I’ve been so nauseous, and almost like morning sickness.”
Beverley continued: “I’ve only been sick a couple of times, but I feel dizzy, I feel worn out.
“To be honest, I’m in shock.”
Bev’s “shock”
She said nurses had warned her this stage could feel tougher. Beverley recalled one nurse telling her: “It’s not actually over,” she said. “Really, it’s the beginning when you sort of finish your treatment.”
Another patient gave her a phrase she now fully understands. Beverley recalled: “Beverley, you’re still cooking,” and said her skin feels hot inside and out.
She told fans she is coping, but resting a lot. She also said her appetite has gone.
Her message ended with advice for others facing the same battle. She said: “So anybody else going through it, just remember, don’t expect too much of yourself.”
Alongside the clip, she also wrote: “Apparently I’m still ‘cooking’ and trust me… it feels like it.”
Why finishing radiotherapy did not feel like the end
Before this latest Beverley Callard cancer update, the actress had shared happier news. She told fans she had completed session number 10.
She said: “I’ve done it. I’ve just finished my last radiotherapy session. Fingers crossed.”
Beverley added: “Yep, that was number 10 for me and lots of people have to have lots more I know that, but for now that’s finished. So hopefully, I don’t know for sure, but hopefully I won’t need any more.”
Her husband Jon McEwan encouraged her with: “Positive thinking, darling,” before she replied: “That’s it. I know positive thinking. Yes definitely.”
She also admitted: “To be honest, I feel a bit numb” and said she will see her professor again in two months. She expects mammograms and oncology appointments to follow.