It is a normal thing to have the fear, or wonder, what if? But...I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking. You can either sit around and think yourself to death, be miserable and let the cancer win, or you can keep your mind on the happy things in life, keep your mind on what you want in life, or out of life, and be happy in knowing that you kicked cancer's A**. I am a three time cancer survivor, after the second time my oncologist told me that if it came back a third time it would be very difficult to control, well....after 3 years from the date of my last treatment for the 3rd time, I am still kicking and thinking positive.
It's hard to do, some people have stronger minds than others and can deal with it better, I'm not a Dr. but I know thinking positive will not, can not, hurt you, negative thinking can and will. Stay positive and look at the good things that you have, and that you are here to be one of us, the select group of over 11 million in the US that are a member of the club. CANCER SURVIVORS
Good luck to you, I wish you the best!!!

I feel your pain I have my moments when I fear it returning BUT look at it this way we KNOW we have a monster in us so our dr keep an eye out for it so they can catch it as soon as it rears its ugly head. Think about all the people who DO NOT know they have a monster in them and whose dr are NOt looking for the monster........ I guess we r lucky ones.................

I know. If I could keep on chemo forever I think I would fell less fear.

Sometimes I feel like Joe Black is looking over my shoulder, and it is an agonizing thought. I try not to feed the fear, but recognize the reality that my cancer has a high risk of recurrence. I am trying to live life and realize that there are many people who live cancer free for years and years after their initial diagnosis.

PetraW--This is an interesting question. At first, after recovering from dcis in 2003, I didn't take anything for granted--I tried to live each day to the fullest, to say what "needed saying" (in my mind) to others, tried to do something good each day. But as nine years passed, I eventually got complacent and everything seemed to go back to normal....until I was dx with idc (breast cancer AGAIN) a few weeks ago. Now I swear I am going to make the most of the time I have here on earth, even if it's just sharing a smile with someone at a public place, giving my kids or hubby an unexpected hug, telling that waitress or other service worker I appreciate what they are doing for me. I don't know what I will leave here whenever I do die--as we all will, eventually--but I don't want to live a life of regret and fear--I want to give it XXX while I still can! Go forward! Look forward! And who knows? You may still be giving them XXX 20 years from now! I hope so! I intend to!