Success Stories!
Comments
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We have had so many losses lately, we need some success stories. Do share. Maryiz
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My mother had a mastectomy and radiation when she was 44 (back in 1960's). She was a 47 year bc survivor when she died three years ago in her 90's from other causes.
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Thanks, Bonnie, that is a story worth sharing. What a nice, long life she had. I wish you the same. Maryiz
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How nice! Thank you for sharing.
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3 success stories: My Mom was diagnosed with bc when I was 4 (1951), had a radical mastectomy, no other treatment, and lived till 81.
My sis had DCIS when she was 60, is just fine & off skiing every winter.
I was diagnosed w bc in 2008, and just celebrated my 1st anniversary of the end of radiation in Feb. 2009.
When I first met my surgeon I was told I had a 6 inch tumour, IDC, and was going to get the full monty. After the surgeon left, my nurse navigator came over to me and said "SOMEBODY has got to tell you this isn't a death sentence." The morning after surgery, my surgeon came to tell me the tumor was only 4 inches and lots of what looked like DCIS.
In the night before my pathology report, I had a vivid dream: my Mother and I were furiously sweeping large yellow blobs off a pavement that was running with wet - water? lymph?. In the morning I waloked into our woods and thought about this vivid, important dream, and somehow knew I was going to be all right.
I cried, waiting, in the examination room, but was told I'd have to wait a while as the surgeon was making his rounds.... Suddenly an intern burst in and surprised me by saying - no cancer in 6 out of 6 lymph nodes, no vascular involvement, clear margins. I pumped my fist in the air, jumping up & shouting YES! each time. However, when the surgeon came in he added that on a scale of aggresiveness, my cancer cells got a 9 out of 9. For hooliganism, I call it. After the surgeon left, the same nurse came to me and said "many women would have crumbled, but you kicked cancer's ASS".
Now here's the funny part. As soon as I was diagnosed, I read all this stuff about food & figured I'd try anything, so I bought myself a super duper juicer and drank straight cabbage juice for about 5 days (for indole-3-carbinols) till I had to stop cause I got such bad diarrhea. It took 6 weeks to recover, when my new digestive lining had a chance to regrow. I had my mastectomy about week 4 of this wonderful gastric interlude.
I often wonder if my entire system was so overwhelmed by the sheer foulness of the cabbage juice that the cancer cells just gave up?
Of course, I'll never know, and would never recommend it, it was so desperately idiotic, but..???
My sis just had the BRCA gene test and no, it is not genetic in my family.whew.
I wake each day SO thankful and happy that I'm alive!
ps my pic is out of date - I now have lots of wild, spikey, silver hair
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This needs a bump today!
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Hi Bonnie, im new to the site and wanted to say that it is nice to read a happy story about how your mother had a long happy life
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I have had breast cancer twice in both breasts in 1996 and 2002. I wanted to come and tell you all, those who are going through it now that I am fine and in remission for 8 years for the second and 14 years for the first. It was hell but you can get through it and get your life back. I thought since my cancer was serious and I had 10 positive lymph nodes that that meant certain death. I wanted to tell you that it does not. You all have my thoughts, prayers and postive energy coming your way!! your friend, Diane
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My aunt was diagnosed with BC in the early 1960s. The only treatment available to her was a radical mastectomy. She just died several years ago at the age of 87 after a long, full, happy life. This next story is not BC, but my grandfather was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the 1950s. He had surgery and was sent home to die; and that is what he did, 30 YEARS later!!!!
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Diane507, thank you so much for the encouragement! We all really need to hear that!
Ruthbru...awesome stories! Thank you so much for sharing. I truly hope many of us follow your aunt and grandfather's paths and live many many years!
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Bump. More success stories are needed....
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Reading these stories has really helped me. I am having my last chemo tratment today and I am wide awake from the decadron. As those of you who have traveled this road know, end of chemo is a bittersweet thing. I am thrilled that it will be over but scared to death that it might recur. I watched my mother die of this when I was 16 so I know how it can go. I also realize that a lot has changed in 28 years.
Your stories are truly inspirational! Thank-you!!!! Keep them coming
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Shadow, you caught it early, are doing all the treatments offered. You should be GOOD to go!!!!
Ruth 0 -
bump.
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great stories!
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I am 34 and just found out I have IDC grade 3 tumor yesterday, and I am clinging to any glimmer of hope. I go to the breast surgeon thursday to find out more, hoping for the best. I am trying not to be negative, so this site is helping me tremendusly. I am the first in my family to have this and have no one to talk to, but finding these success stories makes me feel so much better. Thanks so much. Allison
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Allison- so sorry you have to be here. Waiting is the hardest part. My great-grandmother had breast cancer, other then that...Me! They say my great grandmothers breast cancer and I are not related. ( too distance)
You will find a lot of support here.
People at work have come up to me with stories of their family and or friends who have gone through what we are going through. I know one lady who has gone through it twice... second cancer is now 9 years out! One guy at my work said his mom and sister both have gone through this... His mom did pass away from UNRELATED illness.. OLD AGE.. She died at 95. She was cancer free for over 45years.. and back then the treatments were a lot different.
Since Nov 14 2008 my life has been turned in many directions. I wish you didn't have to come here, but don't ever give up. Cancer is no longer a death sentence. It is a very upsetting time in our lives but does not mean you will die.
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Shadow,
I finally found someone. I'm 38. 3 little girls 2, 5, and 8. Diagnosed in December 2009 with stage 1, 8mm, erpr negative her2 positive. Im having the same chemo as you and herceptin for 1 yr. I havent been able to find anyone with the same tumor markers.
I have three more chemos so you are ahead of me. I'm glad you are doing ok, I need to see and hear from long term survivors with the same tumor markers. Everyone I meet is ER positive.
Somedays are good others I am very depressed. I always thought if I got this that I would get it very early. Im angry at myself for allowing this to happen. I have a friend who has had breast cancer for 20 yrs. Recurrence after 14. She says that there are very few true cures but I refuse to believe this. I promise that no matter what happens to me I will never say that to another breast cancer survivor to take away their hope. I had so many people that were supposed to be helping take my hope away. Its cruel.
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Hope-Didn't you just say it? And on an inspiring stories tread none the less. ?
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Of course there are true survivors; they are all over the place; and with the more individualized treatments now there will be even more. Your friend isn't much of a friend, and what she says is NOT TRUE! Hang in there! Ruth
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Hi there,my name is Anne i was diagnosed 4yrs ago with breast cncer and also bone mets all over my body and also lymphnode involvement I am on Femara also.I keep well get checkups every 3mths and scanned every 6-8mths I was so upset well thats an understatement when I was diagnosed I worked as an auxiallary at the time and had never heard of it going into the bones so I thought i was going to die through time I learned that it was treatable not courable and that you dont die cos its went into the bones it has to go into a living organ(but even then you can live with it with more treatment)for years I hope this helps you.
take care x
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I was diagnosed with Stage 1 er/pr positive her negative BC in March of 2006 at age 42. After undergoing a lumpectomy and 30 + radiation treatments, a year and a half later I thought I was on my way to being done with this nasty disease. In March of 2008, a needle biopsy showed that I had a very small DCIS spot in the same breast. I then underwent a double masectomy ( I wasn't gonna do this again) and we discovered that I now had Stage 3b er/pr negative her positive BC with 10 of 13 lymph nodes involved. What are the odds of having 2 different breast cancers in the same breast? I guess I was the lucky winner ....
Well I then did 6 rounds of chemo, herceptin every week for a year and another 30+ radiation treatments. Today I feel great and very lucky to have discovered both of these early, and am looking forward to the next 50+ years. I hope anyone who is diagnosed with BC never gives up hope. Without hope we have nothing. Breastcancer.org has also been a very important key to helping me get thru this. Thank you for all the BC information, the support forums, and all the other inspirational stories. 0 -
Allison, I am an 8 year survivor of BC. 4 years with mets to the liver....they gave me 16 mo 4 years ago! Wrong! I expect to live into old age...and now my docs expect that too!
My advise to you is, Don't waste one more minute on fear! I know that seems impossible, but I tell you if you can just try to let go of the fear you will be ahead of the game!
God Bless you! And Good Health! Susan
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My mother (very active socially and civic minded) was diagnosed w/BC at age 52 and had a radical mastectomy with many positive nodes (can't remember exactly). She traveled five hours for Chemo - once a month for several months and did beautifully. She then lived a full life, raising five children with courage and a great attitude. She passed away last year at age 86 (heart problems) just before I was diagnosed with BC. So glad she didn't have to know - but glad I have her as a role model.
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Bump
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That's so encouraging. I wish that store was in my area!
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Hi everyone-I just had my 18 month check up (mammogram and oncologist) ALL CLEAR- ALL CLEAN- ALL IS GOOD!
I know this is not the type of success story we are looking for but for me- we all are success stories!
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Amen to that, marlenet! We are indead all success stories!
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