Like Kari said, you take it one day at a time.

I distinctly recall getting to the end of treatment and everyone around me was SO excited. I was just exhausted and a little bit afraid. I remember thinking "I'm not safe anymore". Like chemo was this security blanket and as much as I hated it, I felt like the cancer couldn't come back while I was on it.

So there was this intense feeling of fear. Of "what if"? Wondering each day if that ache in my back is cancer or if my fatigue (which takes awhile to go away) is another symptom. Now I can laugh and call it my "canceritis", but at the time, it was pretty tough to laugh.

And then there are the articles and advice you will get from people. "I read if you eat green peppers, it can reduce cancer risk!" or "Watermelon is GREAT for survivors." And you start wondering if you should eat only watermelon and green peppers. And then you realize you're acting kind of crazy.

THEN there is just the fact that you have all this time... time that before cancer was filled with dates with friends, commitments at work/church/wherever, hobbies, etc. And during treatment, that time was filled with appointments, scans, treatments and just trying to survive it all. And now you have ALL this free time and you wonder what to do with it?

Do you want to do the stuff you did before? Is it still meaningful? Life has changed in this big, crazy way and it's difficult to figure out does my "pre cancer" life still "fit". Its like trying on your precancer clothes and realizing some of them just don't quite work.

My advice is to take it slowly. Try to sit down and come up with your priority list. Family first? yourself? cancer advocacy? And then fill your time with those things that are your new priority. Then take all the food/lifestyle advice with a grain of salt. Do what you need to do to feel healthy, but don't let it control you either.

And as for the fear... that's just a one day at a time kind of thing. One thing I did do is download an app for my smart phone where I could keep a bit of a health journal. That way I could write down my various aches, pains, and issues and see if any of them were developing a pattern or becoming more severe. Or if it was just a day or two. It helped keep me sane.

And as the other commenter said, seek out support. Having a friend to call at midnight when you're certain you're dying can help you feel less alone and less crazy. I have 2 friends that have brought me off the ledge more than once.

Good luck.

I'm 5 years out from diagnosis. It's still difficult. I finally just started keeping my feelings here and with close breast cancer survivors I know. My other friends don't understand the daily fears.

I sure needed to see this today. Once I started looking "healthy" again people seemed to forget what I'd been through or never asked how I felt. The fatigue and depression is the worst, but knowing that I'm not crazy for how I feel is good. For me, talking to someone else that has been in my shoes is absolutely one of the best things I can do.

I'm going through the same thing and I have asked the same question. It's been two years since I've had chemo and my body is still not the same! I'm always tired, sleeping a lot. People really just don't understand! This is a very slow process

As I started to look better, eating more, hair coming in, my family seemed to forget all I had gone through. And I had to start saying "No" to family outings, etc. because I wasn't up to it yet. Work on getting yourself better. Exercise, try to eat right and just go at your own pace. My family finally asks about how I feel, and if I am up to ..... and they respect it when I say no. And when I feel up to ....., then I do it. You will find your limitations. Just do what you can. You are in charge.