Cancer Relapse Scare : Dealing with Anxiety of Cancer Returning | Stephanie's Story

Hey, it’s Stephanie with The Patient Story. Normally, I try to avoid talking about my own story - there hasn’t been much to say lately, which is great. That means remission has continued.

I’ve been in remission for 4.5 years from my stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (primary mediastinal b-cell lymphoma or PMBCL) but recently felt some symptoms that were unsettling, including fatigue that wasn’t improved with more sleep, a feeling in my chest that was foreign with a persistent, light cough (tested negative for covid several times), back pain. (This isn’t the first time I’ve “felt things” but the first time it felt a lot more worrisome.)

What I realized when my emotions came flooding back to me ahead of an appointment with my hematologist-oncologist: I was scared. Have been scared.
And cancer wasn’t “in my rearview mirror” as much as I’d thought. It was, and is, very present in my life.

Survivorship is hard. There are fewer, if any, official follow-up appointments. The drop-off in care can lead to a lot of unwanted thoughts. If you feel this way, know you are not alone. I hope this video sharing helps with that.

Next update: PET/CT scan in mid-November 2021.

Full story & transcript → Updated Soon at www.ThePatientStory.com

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