Yeah, it's your new normal. In a way, you do need to be extra vigilant. Some things you'd have brushed off before all this, and ignored, need to be monitored. My wife is around 2 years out from grade 3, stage 3 BC, and she was told not to ignored a persistent cough, not that anyone should, but she got told to see about it sooner than, for example, i would. Same with back pain that doesn't resolve, and gets worse rather than better.

However, it was also stressed that all these twinges happen to everyone, as it did to my wife prior to her treatment, and the human body will always have twinges here and there. She's had 3 scares. One was finding 2 lumps in the same breast again, but they turned out to be scar tissue and an oil cyst. The 3rd scare was some calcification in her other breast. That was noticed during her last mammogram. She had it all taken out and it was nothing. I fully expect this to be her life from here on in. It's also about learning to trust your body again if that makes sense. You currently think everything is something sinister because it's happened before, but this supposedly lessens with time. Just be vigilant, but don't keep running to Google. If you have something you are concerned about, call your gp. Better than freaking out over Google. I have never had cancer myself, but during all my research when my wife was ill, there were times that i read so much i ended up becomming a little paranoid about some of my twinges.

Hi Catherine,

Moving forward after any cancer diagnosis can be difficult to get our heads around. I had 2 bouts of breast cancer, within a year of each other and a fear of recurrence became a constant worry. There are a number of courses available for people who have had cancer. I attended several of these on diet, moving forward, pain management, exercise, seated yoga, self-help, etc. There are support groups dotted throughout the country too. There are also local cancer charities, such as Maggie's or the Haven, where you can discuss your feelings with a  counsellor, indulge in alternative therapies, talk with other people in remission, or still battling cancer, partake in a number of activities, or just pop in for a cuppa. If you don't have either of these facilities near you, there are a number of other cancer charities in your area, which may have different names. Ask at your hospital, health centre, library, or Citizen's Advice Bureau for advice.

I found that by participating in these activities, my negativity gradually became more positive. I'm not saying that it came easily. I was first diagnosed 14 years ago and have had plenty of time to come to terms with things. I still have my "wobbly" moments, but I believe that I cope much better now.

You are too young to let this fear overshadow your life. Life is too short to let it be ruled by cancer. The worst thing you can do is to turn to "Dr Google" for advice. The articles here concentrate on the more spectacular cases, won't apply to you, won't give you any answers, but will certainly serve to scare you. I'm glad to hear that you are having active surveillance and that nothing else has been found. Try to place your trust in your care team - they don't actively try to get rid of us, but strive extremely hard to keep us living a healthy life.

Please try some of these suggestions and let us know if it helps. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx