Positive nodes with long term survival
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Love these stories! Gives us hope. I had 8 nodes Stage 111. I am 2 years out. I was wondering if all these wonderful survival rates always included a 5 year pill?
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I was diagnosed in 2009 and tell very few people I am a cancer survivor. I do not want the attention and do not want it to define me. But I do have a question - how/why is stage IIIc considered early detection?
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Almost 2 1/2 yrs out. TN with 3 positve nodes. 2 of which were quite large. 2.8 cm and 2.2 cm. Still dancing around with NED.
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Hi ladies am need of some positives feeling very sad what can i do to move forward with life
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Stephanie, Alot of BC terms are actually thrown out there and it depends on where the information is coming from.
By current medical definition Stage III ( including stage IIIC ) is considered locally advanced disease.
"Early Detection" is a non medical subjective term (which equates to the earlier the BC is found the " better) ieHaving thatStages are used to access warranted tx. Stage I-Stage III reflectes " early disease through locally advanced disease, Exclusive of Distant metastasis ( Stage IV)
Hope that helps!
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Thanks, lkc.
bevdurrant - we are all having a roller coaster life...what would you like to talk about? What I mean is, let's start somewhere on something... we will be here to chat. There are a few threads in this area that are all positive stories!
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Bevdurrant, it's important to remember that mostly women who are more recently diagnosed are going to be on here. So if you don't see women from 10 years ago, it doesn't mean they are not doing great - it's just that we don't get a lot of "old-timers" posting here. They probably just move on with their lives, whereas we are still adjusting to all this.
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Hi Stephanie and Fearless, I thank you both for your encourgement i know this is truely a wonderful site. I didnt have a negative thought whilst doing chemo, i had my BMX end of August and they found a new primary in the other breast, smaller but the same histoligy as the first, I got an infection and the TE were removed (only one side infected) then the wound came open on my left side and i am currently wearing a wound vac, i need to be healed for radiation....................coming to this site has been an inspiration, although i now worry myself sick about mets, and it spreading, my scans were all clear in March, the more i read the worse i become......................why cant i be positive again, i feel like im not going to be here for long (im sorry i know that sound terrible), i have a great support network but dont like them to worry, i make out im good..................im sorry for my negativity but i know you will understand. thank you for listening, sending hugs
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Bevdurrant, for what it's worth, it is totally normal to worry ourselves sick. Not healthy, but normal! It sounds like you have been very proactive with chemo, BMX, etc. You have been through so much, but you have given yourself some powerful ammo with that chemo. Things will slow down, I promise you that! I know it must be overwhelming right now.
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bevdurrant - thanks for making me feel sane today. I make out I am "good" too. Thank goodness for meeting you here!
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Many, I posted in another topic but just in case you didn't see it....
I met a woman last week with 17 positive nodes who was 30 years out! She was not even 40 at dx. I hope this helps reassure you it's possible. Take care.
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Thank you girlies for being so supportive, Steph im glad i can make you feel sane!!! i wish i could do the same for myself, its nice to bond with people, up and till now i find i just read and read the sites which i am sure is not always a good thing for me, but i havnt actually made firends so it is nice to feel part of a group that can support eachother, and i see from our diagnoses we are all in a similar boat so can totally relate. thank you again i will definately stay in touch and if i can help anyone that would great, take care B:)
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bump
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bump
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A friend of my mother had breast cancer 17 years ago, they took about 40 nodes and 20 were positive. I don´t know, if her cancer was hormone positive, but she still is cancer free.
Then I know about a woman which was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 20ties. She had a masectomy, chemo, radiation and a lot positive nodes. Thats nearly 30 years ago and she is still cancer free too.
And, my grandmothers cousine had breast cancer nearly 50 years ago! She is still alive and going to be 80, the cancer never came back. I don´t know, if there were positive nodes or something like this, it´s too long ago.
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Well I think I had the mother load......at least 17 positive nodes.....8 cm tumor....into the skin....couldn't get good margins as it was all the way back to my chest....positive nodes were enlarged....vascular invasion.....yep...all of that....
And yet here I am ....7 /12 years out..... It can be done!!!!
Peace,
Jacqueline
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Congratulations Jaqueline on your 7 1/2 years! That is fantastic and very encouraging. Like you I had a large ILC tumor and positive nodes.
I was wondering if you are still on any anti hormonals? At my last once visit she made the comment that I would be done with Femara next Aug (which would be 5 years). Makes me a little nervous to give up my security blanket, although I would love to be rid of the SE's.
Just curious if that has been a part of your success?
Thanks, Cyndi
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Yes cyndi...
I am still on Femara......i have absolutely no SE on this drug so it doesn't bother me to be on it longer....My oncologist expects me to be on this for quite awhile.....I like the "security blanket".
Jacqueline
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I found three people on my list that I call on. I've found them through friends of friends.first is 8 yrs out-love talking to her she's southern-but she had lobular? I think. she said docs didn't know what to do with her. that was 8 yrs ago.second is maybe 5 yrs out.and the third is 25 yrs out. dx on her 40th birthday. she really inspires me. said she didn't feel sick at all during chemo? wierd. but that she changed her diet to macrobiotic. she does it some occasionally now, but not exclusively. she can't really remember her stage, but thinks she was stage 3, as axilary nodes where involved.0
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Over 5 years out w/2 pos nodes w micromatast. Est prog pos I did chemo, Mx and rads.
More and more research is showing that your BC is not my BC and treatment is going to become more and more specialized to the individual. This is the case for other Cancers as well....
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That is so wonderful to hear. I just came from a plastic surgery appt and when he asked me about how many nodes I had positive, he went "Jesus". I was like, huh? Then came back to work and cried. Now sitting here reading these stories of survival, I feel better. We can all win this battle!! Staying positive is so important and living life! I bought a swimming pool that I can't wait to use next year.
Diagnosis: 3/29/2011, Stage IIIc, Grade 3, 17/25 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-0 -
ckgrayoh - Hmm ... I'm sure your PS didn't mean to upset you but that might have been enough to make me think about checking out another doctor. I'm so sorry you were so upset. I would have been too!!0
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Bless you all for sharing! I really needed to hear these stories!
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Ckgrayoh - I know what you mean about the comments when it comes to having positive nodes, I can relate. When I was first diagnosed people would ask that question, I would answer and then the looks on their faces did me in or the Oh...that's terrible. Oh well here we are! I visit here frequently for reassurance. Thanks to everyone that posts
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I know what you ladies are talking about when you get that reaction about the amount of positive nodes. Although I never got that from a doctor, very unprofessional. When other survivors or just folks in general hear I had 10 positive nodes, I can clearly see the "holy crap" look on their faces. I had what was considered a small tumor at 1.9cm but the 10 positive nodes really to us by surprise, my surgeon included. Dose dense A/C 4 rounds, 2 weeks apart, followed by 12 weekly taxol, followed by 35 daily rads. Now in Arimidex....hate the joint pain it causes but very happy to have something to take very day to hold "the beast" back. I'm coming up on 3 years since 2nd surgery removing all cancer & nodes. Happy & blessed to be NED!! Bless all of you!!
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I have posted this before but sometimes we need a reminder. When I was diagnosed in 2006 and saw this article I printed it out and read it several times a week. That was almost 6 years ago!!!
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ckg - UGH! Find another plastic surgeon! Do NOT allow anyone, especially a medical professional who doesn't even specialize in cancer "speak death" over you or "speak fear" into you! You're seeing lots of great stories here - remember that this is only a small amount of people who have been NED for several years. In other words, most people who have had breast cancer 10,15 and 20 years ago aren't on this forum forum for the most part.
I dont' have any stories except for when I was diagnosed, the receptionist in my midwife's office shared with me that she was a 10 year survivor - that she was only given a 50% chance to live at her diagnosis. I don't know if she was hormone negative, or what grade/stage she was, but here she was 10 years later NED.
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Thank you for the link to that story Carol.
I have a friend who is not doing well right now and it's constantly on my mind and making me feel less than positive. Keep the stories coming ladies!0 -
I am an 11 and 6 year survivor of two separate BC dx. I had 23 out of 23 nodes positive removed 6 years ago yesterday in fact. I remain NED and life is good! Having many positive nodes is of course a sobering reality but as so many of us here can now attest, it is NOT a reason to lose HOPE! As much as we would like to know what our future holds, all we can do is take one day at a time, make the best of the moments we have right now and hope for a long and happy future.
Best wishes and lasting health for all of us!0 -
Jacqueline & LindaLou: All I have to say is "way to go girls" !! My own story is I'm almost only 3 years out from DX, and still feel like I'm having an awful bad dream. I get sooo much inspiration from stories of women years NED. Going to start a new topic -- just wondering who out there was similar to me in that the tumor size was a huge surprise during BMX and something not seen on previous PET or MRI. Also want to know what their oncs said may have been the difference between adjuvent therapy and immediate surgery. Need stories on this -:)
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