Good morning, Sue... Yes, I have been cancer free since my surgery in February 2010. My cancer was not the same type as yours, but the protocol of surveillance is very much the same with diligent monitoring. As Diane said, the approaching date of our checkups brings back a bad case of the nerves but there are many days I forget bc... and it took quite a while for that to happen.
You are very astute to realize that many who become cancer free after various treatments do not stay on the forum. Most who come here are seeking information and support, especially in the beginning and over the course of the treatment. We are fine with that... get out there and get back into your life!
I keep coming back because I remember so vividly how lost I felt after diagnosis. I had never even had a UTI or thought about a urologist. I was viewed as the "healthy" one of my 5 other siblings. Every day my very first thought upon waking was a black cloud with the word "cancer" written on it. I didn't know anyone with bc and my family just wanted to think my surgery had cured me forever, but the more I read about bc, the scarier it sounded. All the stats on my tumor type were dismal.
Finally one day 8 months after my partial cystectomy, I found this forum while doing my daily internet searching for information on bc. I can without hesitation say the people here rescued me from a very dark place. So that's why I hang out here, to maybe be part of that lifeline for others. I've had to take a few breaks from the forum because sometimes I get overwhelmed (anxiety issues), but I try to hang in there. I am very thankful for the wonderful friends I have met here and the support I've received these past years.
You are now part of our family here... for as long as you choose to stay.