The fear of recurrence

I know it’s so worrying but everyone’s cancer type is different, the treatment they received, it’s just difficult to say why they had a recurrence and if you will. 

I do a lot of research all the time and I still don’t quite understand why people get a recurrence. If it was contained in one area at diagnosis how does it suddenly appear in another body part years later and kill you. What I would say is that treatment is evolving all the time especially for met breast cancer it’s getting a lot of attention in the research world. 

I know it’s easy to say don’t worry because we always will be try to think about all the people who haven’t had a recurrence, it’s a lot more than you think xx 

I think they are now busy researching the influence of stress on cancer. I maintain it was a factor in mine; my first was following a stressful time looking after daughter and hubs, daughter had a primary refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma which took over 7 years to gain a remission, then followed by a donor stem cell transplant. This was while she was 160 miles away from home, and my hubs was disabled. I felt like a yo-yo! 

Then I had my first bc. Had a year clear of drugs during which time hubs’ arthritis got a good bit worse and then he developed kidney cancer which took him in 10 months. Yes a while later I got a recurrence, the beast had sneaked beneath the implant I’d had. 

Hopefully I’m clear now as I’m flat of course. But it’s always at the back of my mind….

hugs xxx

Hi,

Your timeline is similar to mine. I was diagnosed June 2021, mastectomy, chemo, radiotherapy then immunotherapy finished September 2022. 

I have no helpful advice but just to let you know you’re not alone. I’m getting on with life on the surface but it’s still there, not a fear even as such but a shadow. It’s such a shock to be told you have cancer and the treatments are so harsh it takes a while to get back on your feet and start going forward again, such a knock to your confidence.

They say most of us won’t have a recurrence so we have to hang on to that and we are nearly at our 5 years since diagnosis which is also a positive. It really doesn’t seem fair to hear about people who have lost their lives but that’s not our story.

Thank you for your comments, you lovely lot. It really does help put my mind at ease a bit. Cancer really is the shitty gift that keeps on giving isn't it.

Sending you all lots of thanks and gratitude for easing my worries xxxx