Hello Kiera123, 

Thank you for coming here and reflecting on your journey this past year. I am sure it will inspire many on our forum and that it will also make others reflect on their own experiences of life after cancer. 

It's been quite a year for you going through surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy and rebuilding your life after going through something like this is not something that can happen overnight. Having the support of your family and friends in times like this is extremely important. A lot has been put on hold in the past year and I hope that you can start making nice plans again for yourself and your loved ones. 

You are right to want to live your life in the way you feel appropriate and not to want to anticipate too much what the future might bring. You are spot on when you say that the cancer may never come back and there is no point worrying that it might. Enjoy spending time with your seven grandchildren and seeing them grow up.  It's normal though when you've been through cancer to have this worry that it will return but you are right to take this attitude and to simply enjoy life every minute.

I am sure your words will inspire many on the forum who have been through the same thing and who are also trying to rebuild their life now. I hope that we will hear their stories on this thread and that you can bring comfort to one another. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi Keira123,

yes I SO agree with your post!! I was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in October 2019. It hits hard! How could this be happening to me?! I don't think life will ever be the same again after taking such a body blow. However it's what we do with this experience that matters. 
 

I am trying to cease each day. Take the good within it. I too have a good life with good friends and family. It's such a blessing and I am grateful. 
 

Of course there are days (for me anyway) that I get filled with a fear of a recurrence. It happens less than it used to but it can still grip me. A cancer diagnosis (and treatment) is not a small thing. I think it's changed me both for the better and for the worse. Better because I find joy in so many things that I used to take for granted. Sunshine, the smell of  freshly mown grass. Swimming and the feel of the water on my body. Music!! Just everything feels/sounds/tastes better!!! 
On the negative side is that foreboding of an imminent death. It can spoil an hour or so. Sometimes a whole day but that's unusual nowadays. An odd pain in my breast, just feeling under the weather....is it back?? I am sure most people will recognise such feelings. It's kind of crazy but that's cancer for you. 
 

Apart from that occasional break in normal proceedings it's good to grab life!! It's so precious. 
 

May you have happy days ahead, and many of them. 
 

Kebbs. 

Thank you for these kind words finished chemotherapy ten days of radiation  what a journey   Now to get  back to being me again x big hug take care every one x

Hi can I please ask if you hasd any lymph node involvement because I have only just been diagnosed with this awful dsseae  am terrified it is stage 4 I am stage 3 now

I would be most grateful if you coukd please answer my question 

I have never been so frightened  

Hi they said grade 3 stage three due to lym node involvement... I have been at tge hospital all Fay as sent via 111 suspected clots on my lungs... happy to say there are none... 

no tumours in my lungs either...  happy with this news... 

Thank you for acknowledging my reflection and I certainly do hope it helps others x

Wow that's is so reassuring I'm very pleased for you.

yes I understand what you are saying about the stage 3, just wanted to check as lots of people get confused.

The treatments available now are pretty amazing now and I hope you can receive the best possible care and treatment.

do you know if it is hormone positive? 
xxx

Hi Keira

Glad  you have got through all the treatment now. I finished radiotherapy last week. I am going on a new drug to prevent recurrence Abemaciclib for two years as well as the hormone therapy.

It is hard to keep the worry about recurrence from taking over but you're right it won't change anything and ruin the time we have.

It still seems unreal at times though ! and I don't feel like the same person, do you ? 
I hope you are having fun with your grandchildren xx
 

Hi minty it's so lovely to hear from you and I'm very pleased yr through yr treatment too. Look at where we both were not that long ago! But it's done now.

I do know what you mean about worrying about it coming back but in order to cope I really have to put it to the back of my mind or I would go mad.

yes it does change you, I agree with that. I feel that I keep revisiting  the past year but am really scared of  people getting fed up of me doing this but in a way this also helps me to move on and stops my mind  playing over on the past year again and again.

I value many more things now much more than I did before and my children and grandchildren are my world!

what drug is that one, I've not heard of that, what does it do? I'm good on my hormone treatment which im very pleased about as I'd read lots of issues with them. I did start with bone pain about 6 weeks after starting them but my consultant said if this happened to start taking Omega 3 capsules so I did and im fine now.

you take care of yourself you have done fantastic xxx