Success Stories!
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We just had a client come in to our office - 84 years old, had breast cancer 40 years ago - just a mast. God Bless her.
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I was discussing my recent Onc visit with my Family Dr. In Canada our family Dr's play a big role in our follow-up post the first few years.
She was interested in what my Onc had to say about my continuing on Arimidex past five years. (That was up in Feb) I told her he was a flat "No". It was five years. That I had the option of clinical trial where 1/2 receive Femara and half placebo or nothing.
Well the good part is that he strongly feels that BC is curable. That it would be more dangerous to keep me on the drug (at 44 years of age) than to take me off. Even with pos nodes, young age etc. That the newer chemos and AI's and Herceptins used upfront are proving as women go down the line to continued survival.
My family dr looked very interested. She said that if she really thinks it over she has probably 6-7 women in her practice who are very old ladies now who had BC years ago. One woman asked her to stop doing the mammograms on her opposite breast (she had a mast) as it had been 17 years and she felt the mamo did more harm than good. As well as many others who are doing well and now seeing her for other issues that are related to their advanced age.
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What a fantastic thread! It's been around for nearly 6 years, but I just spend the entire afternoon reading it in entirety for the first time - probably beacuse I am a newbie in here (relatively) being diagnosed only 2 months ago.
How inspiring to hear all these long term survivor stories. I have my appointment with my second oncologist tomorrow (second opinion), as my first told me I don't need chemo, but want me to go on hormone therapy. After reading about these old ladies living into their ripe years from just having mastectomies, I'm beginning to wonder what I should do!
My mom just told me about her friend in her 70's who has been a BC survivor for 24 years - she's in her 70's right now and doing greate. When asked about the specs of her tumor, she replied to my mom, "whaaaa? I thought cancer is cancer, and that's all I was told" LOL. In her case, ignorance was a bliss perhaps, as she thought after surgery, she automatically cured! How sweet that she didn't spend the last 24 yrs worrying about recurrences, because it never crossed her mind.
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What a great thread, these stories are sure uplifting, I haven't even finished my treatment yet and I'm worrying about reoccurrence and I know long term survivors!
I know of one lady who had a mast (no chemo, no rads just tamoxifen) at age 50, she's 86 now and still going strong. I also know another lady dx with IBC in her 50's and is now in her 80's also!
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My mother had BC over 18 years ago and still doing fine, my cousin who died 2 days after my mastectomy from heart complications was 20 years clean she was diagnosed in her mid 40's and they did a scan and said she did not have any new cancer. My Grandmother also had a mastectomy and died from other complications.
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I thought you would enjoy the story of a woman who swims at out Master's Meets. She's 83 and had BC in 1987 and again in 1998. She set a world age group record this year in the 200M Butterfly which is 8 length race of Butterfly( I can't do it!)
Michelle
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Bumping for all who need encouragement on this journey. These stories SO deserve to be read!
Nico
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Hi everyone. I am new to the site but wanted to post a success story. I am 36 yrs old and am halfway through my chemotherapy so I understand the emotional rollar coaster that we are all on. My grandmother is the success story. She is 88 yrs old and in good health and had a mastectomy for her breast cancer in 1968.....41 years ago. No chemo or radiation. She gives me hope as I go through this. I am having chemo first and then a bilateral masectomy. Good luck to everyone!
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btt
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Hi everyone. I am happy to see this thread. It is a relief to hear all the positive stories. I have one to add here. My niece who is in her 40's was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and we expected the worst for her. Here is her outcome that she was happy to report after her pet scan on Good Friday 2009. As you can see she had tmors in her liver etc. Keep up the positive thinking! Here (following) is her note to me.Dear Aunt Karen...............My liver is clean. All three tumors are gone. My colon is clean and I've had a second colonoscopy that shows it is clear. There is one nodule in my lung. Tomorrow I have a CAT scan and Tuesday at my appt. she will decide chemo for my lung. She will continue a drug called AVASTIN just because the liver is so "newly clean" It is a far cry from 8 months ago...3 tumors in my liver, tumors in my colon and 3 in my lymph nodes, and 3 in my lungs. Today there is 1 tumor in my lung. Thank you for the prayers and support. It is back to chemo....but this will be a piece of cake. My Dr. is "well".........you know by now. I hope this gives you some positive encouragement.
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Bumping in honor of Farila.
Nico
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Kicking cancer butt and keeping it away for 13 years ............Hooorrrraaayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!Thirteen years ago Cancer invaded my body and demanded that I suffer chemo, go through hair loss and give away one of my breast. I had to do it for my survival and did it grudgingly. I hated it with all my heart and considered BC to be one of my worst enemies ever. It went to prove me right by taking away my sister and mom in years to come.
Today after 13 years I am sitting here and thinking of personally what did I lose and what did I gain from breast cancer or precisely gain in my life after BC .
Loss of one breast. I had lost my hair too but it has come back. Self confidence has grown much more than what it used to be. I value my life more now because I had to fight for it.. and that too with a demon named cancer. I feel my life is something I have earned now. I have enjoyed watching my kids grow into their teens and loved every moment of it (other than few moments like Farheena going through her surgery etc). I would never have known how wonderful my kids are and how blessed I am to have them if I had not fought cancer furiously 13 years ago. I turned into an extrovert after my cancer experience. It was just too much to keep in my chest and I felt my ribs breaking out. So had to pour out everything and found out how good it is to share our feelings. I have found amazing friends in the past 13 years. Also some wonderful people who made much difference to me. They changed me into much better person and also made me realize my own potential and resources. When I had slipped into a great depression, one of the counselor , who used to visit us during my sisters illness suggested I go to helping hand. Initially I was very hesitant but when I visited helping hand I met people who changed me for good and also made me much better person with my kids and all kids in general. I cannot forget how helpful the people at Helping Hand have been for me and my kids. They are the ones who do not give you fish but teach you fishing. There have been friends who have made me realize that it is not necessary to be rigid. Sometimes it helps to flow with the tide and enjoy life. I don't know where I would be today without the help from these people. Farheena being a special needs kid, me getting BC and losing my sister to BC all in a span of year made it very tough for me to handle it emotionally. Rizwan was being nasty and was not much of help. He came out with his worst self when I was going through worst period. May be he was not tough enough to handle the pressure cancer brings with it and also he was not willing to accept that he has a special needs child. He was living in complete denial.
I hear all the horror tales of doctors and wonder where they are.. because all the doctors I have met so far have been very kind and helpful to me. Most of them are sort of like good friends.
I have wonderful friends half way across the globe who I may never have met if not for cancer. I don't like having cancer but when I think what would I have missed in life if not for cancer then may be I don't hate it totally. I have found more friends recently again (Like Marin from breastcancer.org) who have been through this ordeal like me and it amazes me to see how quickly we bond together, even though we have a grand canyon of difference between our cultures and lifestyles.
As a kid I had a dream of visiting Disney World. I am cartoon and comic book lover and wanted to be their world sometime. Always wondered whether that would ever happen... Then there was Rayyan who always wanted to see NYC . I still cannot believe that we realized our dreams last year. The most shocking part was Rizwan willing to give consent to our visit to USA and also providing the tickets first to USA and then to Disney World. How things were set in right place is very amazing. We got to enjoy the fireworks on 4th of July from the best view possible. Friends who made our Disney World trip totally enjoyable. I know I bitch, groan and moan and also at times squeak and squeal LOL.at life but then realize how much I have and feel grateful to God. I feel angry at my friends when they misunderstand or under estimate me and my values but then I realize no matter what I still love them. Cancer makes it easy to forgive follies..
I have known the joy of being in water and got introduced to swimming. Loved it and miss it now.. Some may find this funny but I have found a great joy in knowing a wonder machine called computer. It was love at first touch for me. I am a woman of questions and computer with internet has most answers though not for those important questions which I have to find answer all by myself. I have lived for thirteen years being NED and enjoyed my life with my children, family, friends and computer. Have loved playing games, tasted new food, dressed in a new ways and become totally non-religious person. I trust and believe in God a lot but realize I am not meant to belong to any religion.
The battle has been won and has remained on my side until now and the life after cancer has been worth fighting for... so to anyone who is fighting cancer. Kick hard and fight with all your might and will power. Don't give in. I know I will not.....
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Farila! So nice to hear from you & hear your story again. How are you? Hope all is well. BTW, I feel the same way about my computer. It gave me more art tools and more ways to communicate. Now we have laptops at work, so I can document my patient visits without paper!!
Great stories.
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Go Farila!!! Thank you for sharing!
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Farila ~ Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your story here. This thread has been inexistance since 2003 and no doubt thousands of women have read it and gained hope and strength from others experience. You will never know and may never even hear from the thousands who will find inspiration from your post, but you can be sure that by sharing your story you will effect their lives in the most positive ways.
Never give up. Never Surrender.
Nico
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Hi Katie.. Wonderful to be in touch again and glad to see your smiling face.
Nico. I think I have posted on this thread earlier. Need to check out. Chemo brain you know LOL. I loved what you said about being connected. Just the way I feel .......
Love and hugs
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Bumping.
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I just read a thread about someone meeting a 35 year survivor when she really needed to hear an uplifting story like that. I remembered this thread. Let's keep this near the top, ladies, so our newbies can read it.
Barb
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Michelle! How funny - we both thought to bump this up. That's great minds thinking alike!
Hope you're having a great beginning of summer!
Barb
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Great idea, Sachi! Here's to bumping for the newbies.
Nico
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Back to the top with you, thread!
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hi Farila
Your story is so amazing and I really like to get to know you. Could we PM each other?
By the way, was your BC ER+ ? Besides Chemo, did you get other treatment?
Alex
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Hi Alex. I remember we had briefly got in touch with each other earlier. Off course anyone can PM me... only at times I am offline for days. I come from India and I do not have medical insurance. I pay for all the tests. I have not done the harmone test ( also when I went through breast cancer no one mentioned this to me)and other tests like BRCA just because they are too expensive and I cannot afford it. I had chemo but no radiation. Doctors decided that it was not necessary with the clear margines they got. I send you prayers and hugs.
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farila
I read your blog and you are a such fine writer. I think you should write a book of your life and you will be an international star!! Your revialation, your awakening and your power gained post bc is touching and intelligent and mostly enlightening.
What kind of chemo regieme did you do? It must be very expensive to do chemo without insurance.
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Bump, we need more success stories.
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