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Stage III Cancer Survivors ...Five + Years and Out.

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Comments

  • outfield
    outfield Member Posts: 235
    edited February 2016

    I can't believe I spaced posting here. I hit 5 years from diagnosis last June 18th, and 5 years from finishing treatment December 30th. I honestly did not think I'd be here. I am so thankful.

  • AliceS
    AliceS Member Posts: 74
    edited February 2016

    MANY thanks, Linda, (lkc) for your great advice. Have looked online for breast health diet--and again after your post.(John Hopkins, Mayo Clinic). Have always eaten healthy esp. at home, but do admit when I eat out I splurge a little--hate to give up everything! Not totally giving up sugar, but cut way down. Also, exercise, keep weight down--so hope all that works because the worry is there and terrible! Love ALL your posts and they give me lots of hope---so KEEP posting! Will use more EVOO and think of your advice!!---I eat a lot of avocados, salmon, etc. too, and drink wine moderately.

    Am interested in lifestyles of other Her2 +, -er-pr- Stage 3 or 4, long term survivors. I agree with the other post who said there aren't many with this DX who post.

  • kmur
    kmur Member Posts: 849
    edited March 2016

    Hi to all my stage three friends. It has been almost a year since my last post . Just wanted to say next month will be six years since my DX . Stage three /grade three breast cancer. Because of DX, I have met so many wonderful people I never would have met . Many of them right here on BCO. Six years later still chatting with them . Have met some in person and still working on others !! After DX , somehow or other , my brain decided it could draw and paint and create. It is so crazy ....never thought I could do that!! So I just wanted to say, to all those just starting down the road , maybe reading old stuff on the internet about your prognosis ( I did that) , many many many of us are still here , doing well and living happy lives. Onward we go!!!!!!!!!!!

  • JerseyGirl22
    JerseyGirl22 Member Posts: 186
    edited March 2016

    Kmur, thanks for posting!!!! It means so much!

  • fightergirl711
    fightergirl711 Member Posts: 190
    edited March 2016

    Thank you Kmur I love seeing these stories! :)

  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 183
    edited March 2016

    kmur. Hope you get to do all that artsy stuff for many more years. Pls keep coming back to reassure all us newbies okay? Many thanks for sharing your success!

  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 4,606
    edited March 2016

    Kim...congrats on 6 years. Like you, I've met some life long friends here on bco. Here's to growing old together!! Karen

  • ladyb1234
    ladyb1234 Member Posts: 1,239
    edited March 2016

    Kim, congrats! Thanks for coming back and encouraging us. Yes, and onward we go for many years to come.

  • funthing42
    funthing42 Member Posts: 236
    edited March 2016

    Hi everyone,

    I received disturbing news today.

    I'll make it short . Hx is below but not updated yet.

    2009-2013-2014-2015-2016.

    Stage one each time no nodes . First dx Lumpectomy and rads. 1 month after chemo and a b/l mastectomy it came back in my skin locally. So Rads for me again. I just finished Rads in April if last year just finished healing 4 months ago skin broke down some what. So anyway when the for a f/u. Onc said markers are up and I needed a pet scan . Received results today it showed a lymph node in the axilla region.

    So now I'm having surgery to remove ithe as recommended by my Onc.

    I'm not sure what stage I am. Feels like stage sh to me.

    What options do I have does anyone know. I'm not sure if I want them to take it out without some kind of treatment.

  • 7of9
    7of9 Member Posts: 474
    edited March 2016

    funthing42 - I had a recurrence in axilla. 10 frickin nodes out of 14 :( The surgeon says she got it all (?!) I had a hysterectomy, ooph and am on 17 / 25 rads right now. Then I get to do 4 rounds of taxotere or 6 rounds of xeloda - won't know til my onc appt March 31. Then will start me on Zometz 2x yearly as I had clean scans though with that many nodes and a recurrence, it seems to me they are pretty confident there is still something floating around. I am now on arimidex after recurring on Tamoxifin.

  • funthing42
    funthing42 Member Posts: 236
    edited March 2016

    It sucks right . I was born in Cleveland many moons ago.

    Moved around alot.

    I will most likely have the same. I'm not sure onc calling my breast Surgeon. I'm getting MRI's this week. I'm so freaking out. Slept all day.

    Im just so confused as to how. I have no breast where it's hiding is a mystery. Chemo Rads with and without breast. I can't take Tamoxifen some kind of metabolism issue , body will not absorb it. Hence the Lupron Aromasin. I'm thinking of asking for a hysterectomy. Not sure it will help.

    Thank you for sharing I definitely needed this.

    We will get thru it I'm just not sure I'm ready to loose my hair again it is only back to shoulder length. Seems vain but good grief a stage one. I can't get it out of my head.

    Hang tough!

  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 4,606
    edited March 2016

    Fun4...I'm so sorry for your news. Hopefully you'll have a plan and some direction. Hugs from Denver.

  • ssinuk
    ssinuk Member Posts: 63
    edited March 2016

    Dear all

    Thanks so much for the hope your stories give, I have turned to them on many a dark night over the last 16 months. funthing42 and 7of9 I'm so sorry for your ongoing battles but hang in there, you have everything to play for and I hope this thread encourages you as it does me.

    I am 9 months from MX and scheduled for Diep on Friday but am increasingly anxious about the risks of the surgery in terms of promoting recurrence for us vulnerable stage 3-ers. I have been talking to my excellent Onc, surgeon and anaesthetist but all of them are a little guarded - the message I get is there are questions and the jury is out. I don't want to hijack this thread of hope so have started another, and would very much welcome any encouragement there from those of you here doing well years after delayed flap reconstruction.

    Thanks so much for your kindness x

  • funthing42
    funthing42 Member Posts: 236
    edited March 2016

    Thanks I know it dawned on me as well. Trying to be positve. Some how I thought it was stage III thread.

    Survival is definitely a goal for me.

    You survivors rock.

  • 7of9
    7of9 Member Posts: 474
    edited March 2016

    SSinUK.... I had the same ominous feelings about getting fat grafting or even nipple surgery. I have told myself if I live til 50 that I would 'treat' myself to a face-lift as somehow over the last four years and two go arounds I think it really shows on my lower face, neck a little. Lol. All my doctors have reassured me that reconstruction does not impact recurrence though I hated to do a cosmetic procedure and get rediagnosed. Though I may wish I had done both as now after being radiated I hear that makes future surgeries more difficult.


    Fun thing.. I never understood people fretting about loosing their hair. Now I get it. :(

  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 1,458
    edited March 2016

    7 of 9. I'm probably the only one that is enjoying being bald. I have difficult curly hair that was thinning badly before bc and was a big pain in the butt to deal with. Now not only easy but I'm much cooler..I tend to run hot. I'm thinking I may keep the bald look at least thru summer and onward if I see what's coming back is less than before. I'd rather be bald than have severly showing scalp. :)

  • lucca06
    lucca06 Member Posts: 17
    edited March 2016

    5 years for me!! I should have posted yesterday but just enjoyed the day, a glass of champagne and some cake! The moment they said is etched in my brain and as each day passed the news just kept getting worse stage 3, huge tumour, 12cm+, 9/18 nodes. The thought of actually getting to this point just seemed virtually impossible.

    Now I'm aiming for the 10 year thread.

  • el_tigre
    el_tigre Member Posts: 453
    edited March 2016

    Congrats Lucca!!!

  • JustKeepSwimming44
    JustKeepSwimming44 Member Posts: 15
    edited March 2016

    Glad to hear it Lucca06! Thanks for posting...always looking for that glimmer of hope! xo Sarah

  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 183
    edited March 2016

    so happy for you lucca. It's so great to hear stories of making it !

  • Bec65
    Bec65 Member Posts: 84
    edited March 2016

    Thank you and congratulations, Lucca06!

  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 4,606
    edited March 2016

    Lucca, way to go on 5 years. Looking forward to hearing about year 10!!

  • Valstim52
    Valstim52 Member Posts: 833
    edited March 2016

    Congrats Lucca, you give us all hope.

  • ladyb1234
    ladyb1234 Member Posts: 1,239
    edited March 2016

    Congrats Lucca!

  • JerseyGirl22
    JerseyGirl22 Member Posts: 186
    edited March 2016

    Congrats Lucca!!!!!!

  • fightergirl711
    fightergirl711 Member Posts: 190
    edited March 2016

    Thank you Lucca for posting, and congratulations!

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 236
    edited March 2016

    Congratulations!!!

  • soscaredhubby
    soscaredhubby Member Posts: 23
    edited April 2016

    Thank you all for sharing your awesome milestones! There have been many times I will check in on this thread when I can't sleep at night. So happy to see all the women coming back to share with those of us who are still i the early going. (BTW: I am the husband of El_Tigre)

  • LindaKR
    LindaKR Member Posts: 1,304
    edited April 2016

    I don't think that I signed in on my anniversary this year - 6 years post diagnosis, Stage 3A, triple positive, NED!!!!!

    Crazywabbit I had a mastectomy, the tumor was too large and in a bad place, so not a candidate for lumpectomy.


  • el_tigre
    el_tigre Member Posts: 453
    edited April 2016

    Congrats Linda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Happy

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