Fear of reoccurrence

Hi Harrietgrace

I am sorry to hear that you had a diagnosis of ovarian cancer in November last year. 

Fear of reoccurrence is very natural and I think most people who have had cancer feel the same- I know I do at times. 

At 2 months post surgery your body will still be recovering from your surgery. 

My feeling is that you know your own body the best and if you still feel something is not right then listen to that gut feeling and make an appointment to be checked out. Some of these symptoms could well be down to anxiety and a normal part of recovery however some of these physical symptoms need checking. A swollen lymph node in particular needs looking at. Rather than worrying about what could be wrong would it not be better to just get some reassurance by getting checked out. You may have a number to call on your discharge paperwork or you could contact your GP. 

You could also give the Support Line a call and talk things through with one of the nurses. 

Hope you can get some reassurance soon. 

Jane

Hi Harriet,

I know exactly how you feel.

I turned 22 this week, was diagnosed with Sertoli Leydig Ovarian Cancer in November 2025, and then had surgery on the 3rd of December to investigate/remove a 14cm tumour. I think when you're waiting for the outcome, you brace for worst case scenario, and forget to consider what could happen if it's actually not that bad. So, when you get results like ours, it feels like your concerns are misplaced or suddenly invalid.

Especially when the time frame has been so compact, you start to question every slight difference in your body; any time I feel a twinge, I'm scared something was missed. I think it comes down to having trust in your care team and feeling confident in speaking to them when you need to. I still speak to my oncology nurse at least once a week. I take notes on things that feel 'wrong', and when I go to the gp I make sure to bring up my history when booking the appointment. 

I'm sorry that this response isn't the most helpful, but I felt compelled to respond anyway. Cancer is isolating. Cancer is especially isolating at this age. Then, being given the all clear makes it even harder for you to find people who will resonate; it makes it feel more unreal. 

For me, I am hoping that when I go to my first six-month checkup, I will find the reassurance I need. Although our experiences were shorter than most, they weren't any less distressing.

Hope you're doing okay despite everything that's happened. :)