Stage 3 triple negative survivors over 3 years out
Hi, I would love to hear from triple negative stage 3 survivors. This is my second go around, I was stage 2b over 8 years ago and now have a new primary in opposite breast and now am stage 3C. I had internal mammary nodes positve that have been resolved with neo adjuvent chemo as far as the scans can show.
I would never turn down a lower stage story, so please all feel free to post:)
I really want those stage 3 er's to come out and post, even if you posted your story on another thread!
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Hi, I am 13 years out, and just fine. Good thing about tri-negs, get past 2 years and tri-negs rarely recur. Very good thing.
Gentle hugs, Shirlann
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Hi Shirlann, I remember you from earlier days! My screen name was Ivanna, joined here in 2003. I had to change it because I had a new email and forgot my password! You are an inspiration!
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Two years thats awsome. I was thinking it was three to five.
So, I believe only 21 months to go for us. When does the official countdown start?
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Not stage 3..but with tn..and some studies not sure it matters..any way...I'm 2 1/2 years out..I have this study I keep with me..it is totally based on Asian women but does it really matter? Maybe, maybe not..anyway..at 30 months out a tn is at the median of the er-pr pluses...our risk continues to go down..their's goes up...
3 years out next March...I hope I make it there..but I feel good right now...
Thanks Shirlann...for your continuing support of us...you check in now and then and we certainly appreciate it..more you can possibly know..thanks!
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This is giving me hope! Thank you!!
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Almost 10 years for me. I was dx at age 45.
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Thanks for starting this thread. I would like to see more but am encouraged to see 13 years and 10 years.
I'll check back again to see if others +3 years from dx stop by.
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I am three years out as of July.
Living in hope for many more years of life, 0 -
I just had my 5 years in August. I was 43 when diagnosed. 0
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Love the stories! Keep them coming!
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my good friend is over three years out, she had at least 2 probably more pos nodes
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I will be four years this February. I had one grape sized possitive node and at least 4 others that they could see on scans. I did chemo before my axillary node disection so there's no way to know how many total nodes were possitive. It could have been many, many more. After chemo, only one tiny pin point worth of cancer in one node and none in my breast.
Nearly 4 years. I did a lot of chemo and I know that did so much for me. Then low fat, try to avoid alchohol and exercise. Also have had my D levels checked and take D3 supplements.
Blessings and hugs to all of my sister.
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I will be a 4 yr trip neg survivor in April.... diagnosed at 36 while pregnant... I cannot wait to hit that 5 year mark!!!!!
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Momx5boys I am SO SO SO happy for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I agree with Meggy! and I hope you and your little one are doing great!
Meggy, I always lover reading your posts. You are an inspiration! Started my lower fat diet, I have much room for improvement but I am working on it!
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4 yrs, 8 mos, 7 days here.
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For whatever it is worth, I am 1 year, 3 months out since diagnosis, counting, counting........
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I am 3 years NED stage 2B. All the best and positive energy to you!
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I LOVE reading success stories of trip neg...I am halfway thru chemo then on to rads.
Maggie
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Just stage IIb, but with 4/14 nodes, and the day before Thanksgiving will be my three year mark. So far, so good, and three years without a problem is good for a TNBC person. We can and should do everything in our ability to get well and stay well, but there aren't any guarantees, so I will say that each and every one of us should decide what is important and fit that in in the short term. If a bus hit me tomorrow I wouldn't be angry, but I was plenty angry when I heard the bad news and had put off too much for too long.
I hope that made some sense to someone. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!
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Makes a lot of sense, yellowdoglady, I try and live more in the moment. And big congratulations on being 3 years out - that is a big milestone for us TNs. Being node-positive myself, I can't wait to get there! 2 years now and counting...
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I too am like you. I am a TNS diagnosed 8 years 2 weeks ago on the left size stage 2 grade 3. Went through lumpectomy, 6 rounds of chemo and 7 weeks of radiation. Still cancer free on that side althought I was just was diagnosed on the right side with TNS. This time they are calling it stage 1, grade 3 but will know more after surgery on the 29th. I decided this time to do the bi-lateral mastectomy but will still need to do 4 rounds of chemo and not sure on radiation until we get pathology report back. Personally I never expected them to tell me I had the same thing on the other side I always worried about the same side. I was 36 with the first diagnosis and now 44 with second diagnosis. Going to fight this all the way then will do my rebuild. Scared out of my mind right now as I dont know how I will cope with losing them. Some people are ok with it but i'm terrified.
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Hoppytrigger-I never worried about my "good side" either! Always was worried about my lumpectomy side. I am freaking out about my upcoming bmx also. I can't believe we were diagnosed at the same age twice! How odd is that? Though I am a later stage this time, did not show up on mammo and insurance started to refuse to pay for mri's after 5 years cancer free. I should have fought it.
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Thanks for the encouragement from all of these stories. I am at the beginning of my journey. Stage IIIA Triple Negative with 7/10 lymph nodes. Had a bilateral mastectomy on October 20th and start chemo on Dec 2nd. I am up for the challenge! It's great to hear your survivor stories.
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I love hearing all the stories! Yellowdog, you are so right about living for the now and short term. I lived in the short term after my first diagnoses, spent money I shouldn't have, didn't worry about saving and my hubby went right along with me. Well, 8 years later we are broke! I had also decided I didn't want to work full time so only worked part time, now with treatments I couldn't work full time if I wanted! I know that one has to live within the short term within reason, but I didn't. I felt I wanted to do and spend as I liked and not worry about credit cards! I guess what I am trying to say is don't think you won't be here in 5-10 years, because you probably will be! Have fun each day and appreciate each moment, but do plan a bit for the future! My goal for this time around is to not worry as much as I did the first time, although I am not doing a very good job at that so far, as I am totally freaking out about surgery!
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So sorry bak94,
When I was diagnosed I had had three weeks of vacation in nine years. During that time, I'd spent 3 1/2 years looking after my Dad with squamous cell carcinoma, spent 3 1/2 years mostly apart from my sweetheart while he took custody of his daughter when her Mom went homeless, and spent a couple of months at home with a badly broken foot and lost my Mom to a stroke after a couple of hard months of nonrecovery, and I was really angry at the hand I had been dealt. In short, I hadn't had much fun in a long while, and I'd had a whole lot of obligations. I'm still paying off the debt accrued while seeing my Dad through when he could not work before he died eight years ago. I'm almost done with that, and it was as much as my student loans.
I didn't go off the deep end. I have had a vacation every year since I finished treatment because I didn't want to be bitter if things didn't work out for me. But every trip was paid before we went. I trimmed back all excess and made it happen without going into debt to do it. I worked through all of my treatment, only taking off the worst days. My point was not to put off everything to later if you don't know if you have a later. Not to break the bank. I always wanted to be gardening years from now with a long grey braid down my back. Now that looks like it may be possible, and I like that. Life gets better after cancer. I married my longtime sweetie a year ago on the beach in St. Thomas. We celebrated our 1st Anniversary in Alaska this year. Very good, but we save all year for that special trip each year. In between, we have a good time without buying stuff we don't need. Good luck to you.
It's best if we all take care of ourselves now and look toward the future. Most of us survive, you know.
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Yellwodog-wow, you have been through alot. I had also been the main caregiver for my dad until he passed, it was tough but I wouldn't trade it for anything (other than him being healthy) as we got very close. We did go overboard with spending, but are recovering, even with the newer diagnoses. I will be more balanced this time, learning from my mistakes! Of course it takes money to travel and such, but I am perfectly happy staying home and enjoying the animals and also gardening, all though I did not do any gardening this past year. I agree with your point to not put off everything! It is just hard for me to find that balance, trying to figure out the "what ifs". My big dilema now is if I should continue school. Is it worth it? I was looking for a new career, but still have a couple years left of school. I am continuing for now, just taking fewer classes at a time for less stress!
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bak94,
You can finish school even online if need be. An education is never wasted, and being out and about and interracting is good for recovery. So continue if you enjoy it.
I'm glad you are recovering financially even while facing more medical costs. I was weird. I felt the downturn in the economy coming in late 2005/early 2006. That was when I started cutting costs, and within a year I had cut out hundreds of dollars a month. I spent nothing that didn't need to be spent. That saved me, literally. It wasn't hard. I cancelled the newspaper and magazine subscriptions and book clubs. I cut back the cable TV. The telephone. I get my prescriptions by mail now at a huge discount. I started up a health care savings account at work, pre-tax. Refinanced the house at a lower interest rate. Fired the pool dude, and now we do that ourselves. I can't say all of it in a minute, but it was a savings on everything across the board after looking at every single thing and deciding if it was necessary. Now we save, and can manage a vacation.
Get well, my friend!
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Morning Ladies,
I just wanted to jump in, I just finished Chemo in Sept and am currently doing RADS. I have no idea why but I've been spendind like a FOOL!!! We repainted our living room which meant we needed new furniture, then I wanted a new tv and had to get another small one for our guest room. Hubby booked our "celebration" trip to Europe, finally decided to have my grandmother's ring reset and bought a new car this week. Now that the bills are starting to come in I've reigned the spending in a bit but now I'm super nervous about Christmas. Hubby is big on giving gifts and I can't seem to make him understand, I'm just happy to be here this year, and if I have enough hair to leave the house without the wig will be a bonus. I guess the overspending is part of this darn process, did any of you feel the need to clean out the house, I'm also going thru that phase as well, which sort of triggered the need for updated things.Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
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Happy 3 Year Yellowdoglady!! Sounds like you have had a very rough go of it! Sending you a warm hug and good thoughts that "happy" is becoming part of your world!
Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!!
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