Going forward

Diagnosed with bladder cancer Feb 2023...had two ops and immunotherapy treatment..

..have had 3 clear camera checks 

How do you move on without thinking about cancer returning?

  • Offline in reply to Mary.

    Does everyone feel like this ...I'm happy and a bit guilty that things are going the right way ..I lost a close friend to cancer in the middle of my treatment...I have learnt a lot about myself and definitely take one day at a time ...just need to know this is normal?

  • Offline in reply to Annie-S

    I think it is normal. I met someone recently who was given the all clear a year and a half ago and still, she said, if she feels a pain or something just unusual, she thinks "has it come back?"

  • Offline in reply to Mary.

    Awh thankyou it's good to talk to people who understand ..

  • Hi Annie  it's very normal to think this once you've been through any cancer diognoses,I think once yoir diognosed you worry about what stage cancer, what can be done,what treatments will I be offerd,how will I and my body cope,how will I tell my family and friends,hiw will I cope with all of this. Then once you get your plan if action  you just sort of go into auto pilot mode,trying to get through each day to reach the end of your trestments. Then when you finally do,your so elated  friends and family congratulate you on as they say being so brave,we all know they mean well,but we know we've not had much choice,we had to go through with all the oncologists offered us,as if we didn't the outcome wouldn't look good. And then once we've completed our trestments,we always imagined that we would be back to being ourselves,just like we were befote we got ill with Cancer,but the truth is it affects us for the rest of our lives, don't get me wrong we are so gratefull to have got through it all,and we appreciate the little things in life more ,but those doubts and fears of what if it returns always cross our minds from time to time. Ecspecialy when we have check ups,lije bone density scans, bloid tests,mamagrams etc. Don't feel bad for  having these thoughts,although they are not a nice thought to have, I think sometimes when I have these same thoughts it's because I don't know how I got through it all. I was petrified of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hated losing my hair, feeling tired  etc,it's a horrible thought,doing it once was tough. But if it ever did return,in reality we'd just  be like we were when we were first diognosed, but take all the oncologists advice and treatments etc. But hopefully this won't happen again. We must all try to push the what ifs into the back of our minds and concentrate on the here and now, and live our lives the best we can.  Xx

  • Agree   ....you do appreciate each day as it comes ...thankyou ...very comforting..I hope all goes well with your results in November...keeping my fingers crossed  

  • Annue_S

    Hi Annie,thank you for your reply and well wishes for my forthcoming mamagram check in November, its very much  appreciated.  I'm glad you found my reply comforting, its good to talk express our feelings  and this chat forum  is a wonderful platform to do this on as you always find people are helpful and kind and having gone through similar illnesses ,they really do understand  how your feeling . Thank you  again.