How many years/months past finishing treatment are you, if you have finished treatments?

BugsBunny
BugsBunny Member Posts: 24
edited March 2020 in General Cancer
I am already stressing over a recurrence and I'm not even done with my treatments yet. I can't seem to stop worrying about it coming back after I'm done.

Comments

  • JaneA
    JaneA Member Posts: 335
    edited March 2020
    Dx Stage IV rectal cancer in October 2014. Last chemo September 2015. Just had scans confirm that I am still NED. I consider it a miracle, and I'm grateful.

    Fear of recurrence is most common worry among us. But somehow, someway...we have to make peace with this fear so that it doesn't destroy our quality of life. I put my worries up on the top shelf of my brain after my scans are clear and just keep living. Now, I get scans every six months and I get anxious the day before my scan and the 3 days afterward until I get my results. That's the best that any of us can do.

    LIVE ON THE INBETWEEN DAYS - like everything is going to be just fine. That being said, follow your oncologist's suggestions for any lifestyle changes that they suggest so that you know that you've done everything you can do to keep this beast at bay. Best wishes for finding peace of mind.
  • MyLungCancer
    MyLungCancer Member Posts: 72
    edited March 2020
    I'm still in treatments, almost a year so far
  • Bengal
    Bengal Member Posts: 518
    edited March 2020
    There's a saying, " don't worry until you have something to worry about". Yes, we all know that recurrence is a possibility. But it's not happening now and it may never happen. Just try to live your life in the present. I hate when someone says "put it out of your mind". Not possible but we don't have to dwell on it. Like JaneA says, stick that worry on a top shelf. You know it's there but you don't have to look at it everyday.
  • schweetieangel
    schweetieangel Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2020
    Colon and live cancer stage 4 in 2014 and a new colon cancer stage 3 in 2019 recently had my CT scan and now they see a nodule on my lung not ruling out that its not cancer have to wait for my next CT scan in 3-4 months. For now NED as far as I'm thinking.. staying positive.
  • meyati
    meyati Member Posts: 308
    edited March 2020
    I finished an experimental radiation treatment for a rare cancer Valentine's Day 2013. I'm still good, which no one expected.
  • beachbum5817
    beachbum5817 Member Posts: 238
    edited March 2020
    I had my last treatment in January of 2015. I had a year of treatment. So far so good, but I don't think the worry is ever gone.
  • LiveWithCancer
    LiveWithCancer Member Posts: 470
    edited March 2020
    I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 10/2012. I had continual treatments until April 2019 (I think that is the month of my last treatment). My tumors are still there, but they remain stable as of my last CT scan. We're just keeping a close eye on them at this point. If they start to grow again, we'll resume some kind of treatment.

    Until then, I am living life and enjoying the time I have been given. Stress and worry won't keep the cancer from growing or recurring, but it can take your joy away from the time you have on this earth. And, it could cause the cancer to return or for other problems, like hypertension, to develop.

    Try to quit worrying. You can do that by refocusing your brain. Get busy. Read. Exercise. Make a list of all of the things you're grateful for. Plan something fun to do and to look forward to. Every time negative thoughts come into your mind, consciously put them away. It isn't easy at first, but it can be done.
  • Jayne
    Jayne Member Posts: 134
    edited March 2020
    10 years plus and eternally grateful for the opportunity to still be here.
  • meyati
    meyati Member Posts: 308
    Way to go Jane- Congratulations

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