Success Stories!
Comments
-
Just rented my apartment to a 34 - that is worth spelling THIRTY FOUR YEAR breast cancer survivor. She has outlived her oncologist!!!! She is 70 years old and TOUGH!
When she came to look at the apartment she brought me a bc angel pin - she knew from the girl who told her about the apartment that I was a survivor too!
0 -
Bump for new arrivals.
0 -
My grandmother was diagnosed when she was 40. She died at 81. Her death had NOTHING to do with her breast cancer.
I plan to follow her and live anoher 40 years following my bc.
0 -
I know of many stage 1 and stage 2 survivals I can't even mention them here. My parish nurse is a 40+ year stage 1 Since the survival rate is so high on these I wasn't surprised. I am stage 3 so those are the ones that interest me...
Stage 3...my husband's receptionist friend 2cm, 5+ nodes 11years
my sister friend large tumor, 8+ nodes 4 years
my mother-in-laws friends daughter large tumor 9+ nodes 12 years
my friends friend who just hit 5 years and afraid to leave the hormone replacements
Stage 4 now.... 3 girls at my chemo sessions...one stage 3 for 15years before recurrence...one 12 years..one 13 years...newspaper special during breast cancer month 7 year stage four and going strong...my clinic has a stage 4...15 years and going strong. Yes they are out there...
what surprised me is no one remember the details of their dx...they said as time goes on you forget some of it....also they did this well without the new treatments...especially the herceptin and new hormone receptor blockers ...We all need to keep in mind if we can keep going each year brings hope for a new drug...eventually the cure...so hang in there girls...I plan to.
1 -
I have two Stage 3 friends -
one had large tumor, premenapausal, 5 pos nodes - 9 years
one found mass while breast feeding, ignored it thinking it was related to breastfeeding. Ended up with large tumor and 4 pos nodes. 4 years ago. Has had another child since then!
0 -
These stories deserve a late night early morning BUMP
0 -
Me!!!!! Mother and Maternal Grandmother both had BM prior to menopause. I went to my doctor with nipple pain and he referred me to a breast MD who felt due to my history I should be tested for the BRCA gene. I did...It was positive. Had ovaries and tubes removed...no sign of Ca.....12/10/08 had prophylactic BM with TE. Clean pathology report. So I would like to consider myself a success story!!!! I now have dodged the breast cancer bullet as well. I never look back and think I made the wrong decision.....I look ahead knowing I made the right one!
0 -
Ladies ~ With so many heartbreaking stories on the boards right now a second read of "Success Stories" is in order.
Nico
0 -
Absolutely! Great idea.
0 -
I met a lady in the radiation waiting area. Her sister had breast cancer and had bilateral mastectomy, and has been fine.
THAT WAS 20+ YEARS AGO!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Bump. We need more stories!!!!
0 -
I was at my "2nd mom's " 80th b'day celebration last night. One of her dear friends, that I had never met..came up to me. She said "Lisa..I am so and so..and I want you to know I have prayed for you since your journey started...and I am a survivor..and it's been over 9 years!! " I thanked her and told her I LOVE to hear those stories!!
Lisa
0 -
OK here's another.
My sister in laws Grandma had breast cancer. (I don't have the details of how old she was...) She had a mastectomy and lived a full life, dieing an old lady of stroke/heart issues!
I don't know why but I love these stories of women getting old and dieing of something *OTHER* than cancer!!!
Springtime.
0 -
http://www.breasthealth.com.au/livingwithcancer/longterm.html
Long-term Survivor
31 years since diagnosed with breast cancer
Bettina Woodburn
How long ago were you diagnosed with breast cancer and at what age were you?
In 1973 I attended a CWA meeting (Country Women’s Association) where there was a member of the Anti-Cancer Council talking about the warning signs of cancer. We were told to “Go home and find your lumps”. I had never looked or felt my breasts before. I promptly went home and checked my breasts only to find a lump – just as had been described. After undergoing a lumpectomy (my surgeon couldn't take a biopsy), I was advised that the lump was cancer and soon after underwent a mastectomy.
What impact did this have on you and your family/friends?
It was a huge shock for my family and friends who thought I so fit and healthy, I couldn’t possibly have cancer!
After the mastectomy I started the fortnightly, monthly, yearly checks with my surgeon. Although he told me that I was cured, I questioned his positive attitude. I wouldn’t buy clothes it was a waste of money: I would die soon. I wanted to throw myself under the train.
I returned to the duties of wife, mother of four, house and garden, but I was shattered, in shock and felt that my life was ruined.
What were some of the challenges you had to overcome?
Just simply accepting that this was happening to me, how could it be when I was so fit and healthy?
Not having any personal contact with breast nurses and support groups, or having ready access to information about my medical condition was difficult. Being left in the hospital to have my mastectomy was the longest and most miserable day of my life. I whimpered for hours about losing my femininity. How I needed a breast care nurse!
Feeling unbalanced for years after the mastectomy was difficult. I tried many things to fill my bras; sheepskin prosthesis, bags of rice and birdseed, sponge rubber, even socks and hankies.
After thirty years of feeling uncomfortable, with indentations on the top of my shoulders from the straps an obliging surgeon reduced my right breast to match the other.
How has breast cancer changed your life? What are some of the positive impacts that have occurred as a result of living with breast cancer?
I learned to be positive about my recovery. I spent the 10 years between fifty and sixty becoming super-fit to fight further spread of cancer. I also exercised my mind by achieving my HSC and three degrees.
I trained my body, kayaking to improve my left arm movement, and then bicycling for leg movements and endurance.
When I was sixty I joined Veteran Athletics where I ran, jumped and threw. I started to compete and I held 15 Australian records in the Veterans and Master Games, and won medals in the World Games in Rome and in Melbourne. I used other sports as cross-training and competed in swimming, boomerang throwing and cross-country skiing. I paddled my kayak 1,000kms on the Murray River to raise awareness of breast cancer and money for research and competed with Dragons Abreast (dragon boating).
I still swim and exercise and now over eighty, still ride my Eddie Merckx road racing bike.
What changes/advances have you seen in breast cancer since you were diagnosed?
There was no multidisciplinary care when I was first diagnosed and oncology and breast nurses were un-heard of.
Also people didn’t talk about breast cancer when I was diagnosed. Cancer was a dirty word.
Other than the Mastectomy Society which met monthly, there were no other support groups or supportive care options in hospitals. Today there is an abundance of help and support, tremendous bonding going on!
What do you think has made the biggest difference for women being diagnosed and treated today?
Other than the advances in the treatment of breast cancer and the number of skilled practitioners working in multidisciplinary care, the biggest difference is that women are talking about breast cancer and it is no longer a secret!
What is the most important health message you would give to other women who have breast cancer?
Stop grieving, you can fight cancer. Watch your health and aim for fitness and fun! Take risks but take care.
0 -
FANTASTIC!!!
WHAT A WOMAN!!!
0 -
My Great Aunt (father's aunt) (Granny Minnie to me)had double mastectomy in her early 30's. As a little girl I remember going to her house and she would be getting dressed to go out. She always wore these crazy hats with flowers or fruit or what ever. She would always tell me she was "GOIN OUT FROLICKIN" she was in her 60's then and she died when she was 98 after a night dancing until 1am.
0 -
Met with my Onc for my 6 year post dx meeting. had some things to discuss but wanted to share soe good news. i started this thread almost 6 years ago looking for some positive news to hang on to. Felt everything I read or heard was so doom and gloom and being a positive person and trying to get on in my new life post BC worried maybe i was kidding myself that maybe I would be OK.
Today we had some discussion surrounding BC as a "Chronic" disease. This is the label i read on my original dx form and what I still read today. He very clearly told me "No". BC is fast becoming a curable disease and the new chemos and hormonal therapies and Herceptins are providing data that many women go on and live long and well post BC. He says many women are what he considers cured. That I am possibly cured. Now i am a hopeful person but I do like to hear these things from a Dr. with a smile on his face which was not near my experience 6 years ago March.
He also told me he has many node + women who are "cured". 13+ nodes going on 13 years cx free etc. Hangin there ladies who are new to this and imagine what you will hear 5-6 years from now with the new data in.
Michelle
1 -
Michelle, what awesome news for you. I love even hearing that BC is not necessarily "chronic" but cured. I am hoping that new treatments will make stage IV curable. Thanks, as always, for your positivity. Maryiz
0 -
I hope so too Mary. It has to be crossing there too.
0 -
Thank you Michelle! Yes, imagine what we may hear in 5-6 years, indeed. Thank you for HOPE.
0 -
With all of our losses here on BC.org, we need these stories of hope. Sometimes it seems as if we are at a crawl in treatments and then we hear news like Michelle's. It really is inspiring. Personally, I am so tired of hearing of studies on "Early Detection." It is a moot point for many of us. I think we get that early detection is important, but it is not always possible with cancers like IBC, which means we still need a cure. Keep posting everyone with success stories. Love to you all, Maryiz
0 -
bump
0 -
We need to bolster this thread, we have had so many losses these past few weeks of wonderful, vivacious, caring women. We need to keep going, to have hope that they are really working on a cure and not just coming up with toxic drugs that have a short shelf life. Please, anyone who has done a clinical trial, a newer therapy, a vaccine trial or stem cell transplant, please check in with your success story. We are all very sad about the losses here on bc.org the past few weeks. I, personally, need to hear there is hope on the horizon and there has been improvement with treatments. Thank you all who are willing to take the time to post. A heavy heart, Maryiz
0 -
Bumping. So well put, Maryiz!
Nico
0 -
My stepmom is a 14 year survivor with 3 positive nodes, her sister is a 23 year survivor with 9 positive nodes. My 2 friends that are dxed with HER2 were 4 and 5 years ago, they both had golf ball size tumors and over 8 nodes a piece, neither has had recurrance. I think we get down because we see much recurrance on the boards but that is why they are here for support. If there is no recurrance they are off the boards and living life.
0 -
ok here are the stories I know.....
my grandma was diagnosed at 80 and died at 95 of old age.....
my cousin.....first diagnosis 15 years ago....positive nodes.....mod mast and rads and chemo....6 years ago the other breast, no nodes, lumpectomy and chemo and rads......very healthy very active very cancer free today
a friend who just passed away from her breast cancer......BUT.....diagnosed in 1976....positive nodes, mastectomy and rads and chemo.....cancer free for 26 years til 2002.....bone mets.....successfully treated and nothing further for 4.5 years.....further mets....not so successfully treated....passed away in Feb of this year.....30.5 years of cancer free time.....and if you think about the treatment that WASNT available in 1976 that we have today......we have every reason in the world to always feel positive and have HUGE HOPES !
jan
0 -
My grandmother was dx when she was 58, had a mastectomy and no other treatment. She died at the age of 86 from unrelated causes.
My best friends mother is one of those with inflammatory BC, given months to live by her docs and after mastectomy and massive rads she is alive and well 30 years later.
Also, here is some good news I posted in another thread.
GOOD NEWS....There is a test being developed at several universities, it is soon to be in trials and at present is predicted to be available this summer (09). It's called the Breast Bioclassifier.
It's a genotyping test that identifies the four subtypes of bc, luminal A, luminal B, HER2 and basal-like. Philip Bernard, a researcher at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, who holds the patent for the test, claims that it helps determine how each woman will respond to standard therapies and the risk of relapse. He further states that in those whose tumors have spread, the test can predict with 97 percent accuracy whether they will respond to chemo, and which type of chemo will work best.
University Genomics is working to commercialize the test.
This info was taken from a Feb. 9, 2009 article in the Salt Lake Tribune titled:
Diagnosis breakthrough? Test can ID breast cancer types by Lisa Rosetta
www.sltrib.com
Philip Bernard is a senior author on a multicenter study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology
0 -
Great stories ladies. Thank you for taking the time to encourage us all!
0 -
I don't know if this is the same test, but look up this article and it will give you encouragement. Maryiz
APAWashington University School of Medicine (2009, February 14). New Genomic Test Can Personalize Breast Cancer Treatment.ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
0 -
Bumping for new women.
0
