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

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Comments

  • lafish
    lafish Member Posts: 32
    edited December 2016

    Congrats to all! One more year and I will hit number five! 2017 is only a few days away and I have finally decided to post :-)

    I'm going with the whole better late than never theme. I am just over 4 years out from diagnosis and a little lonely for conversations with people that have gone through some of the same experiences that I have.

    Hoping I have something to offer from my experiences over the last 4 years and looking forward to sharing.

    LAF

  • reflect
    reflect Member Posts: 280
    edited December 2016

    Welcome Lafish! It's so encouraging to hear you are 4 years out. Thanks for chiming in.

  • wintersocks
    wintersocks Member Posts: 434
    edited December 2016

    Hi,

    are you guys taking your 5 years at point of dx or from the cancer being removed by surgery? .

    my BS said I should consider myself NED following surgery and that's when the clock starts ticking, as I had adjuvant chemo although dx in Feb I did not have surgery til August.

  • Lizb58
    Lizb58 Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2016

    hello all

    I hit the five year mark this month! I was so worried that I would not get to see my first two new grand-daughters grow up. Now they are 5 and we have one that is 3 and a boy coming in May. God is good! This site was invaluable when I was first diagnosed. Stay strong and believe! Losing is not an option! Happy New Year!🎉

  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 956
    edited December 2016

    Wintersocks, that's an ongoing question. I asked my MO, and she said, whatever you want, count from there. !!! OK, that wasn't helpful!

    I have found that a lot of us count from the day of diagnosis, since that's when the fandango all began. Like you, I had neo-adjuvant chemo, followed by surgery, then rads, then more chemo, then letrozole, then recon... But I won't ever forget the phone call from my gyno..."it's cancer"... so for me, that's the date that started the clock.

    Here's to 2017, with prayers for health, healing, and hope.

  • Valstim52
    Valstim52 Member Posts: 833
    edited December 2016

    Just weighing in, my NP and ONC both say count from from dx, but my surgeon counts from surgery date as I'm officially NED as of that date. . So,lm going with dx. When I had bc before, I counted from dx . 25 years and counting on that one. 1 year on this one.

  • beth1965
    beth1965 Member Posts: 203
    edited January 2017

    I just hit 5 years the other day - wooooohooooo

    I did not think I would be here but I am -take that cancer -BAM - POW- KABOOM -SPLAT

    so hopefully this means I should start getting ready for the countdown to the 10 year post

    Congrats to everyone that has made it - hugs to you all - see you at 10

  • lafish
    lafish Member Posts: 32
    edited January 2017

    So awesome Beth 1965! It's so encouraging to see your post, thanks so much for posting! Looks like we are both Ontarians.

    LAF

  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 54
    edited January 2017

    beth1965. Wonderful news, so encouraging since I have mixed ILC/IDC. The ILC can be so sneaky I always worry about weird pains. So far 3 years and NED. Wishes for you for the 10year mark.

  • yatcomw
    yatcomw Member Posts: 58
    edited January 2017

    Congrats Beth......five years is huge......def will be on the 10 and 15 year posts.....

    Jacqueline

  • traveltext
    traveltext Member Posts: 1,055
    edited January 2017

    Congrats Beth. Go for the 10!


  • beth1965
    beth1965 Member Posts: 203
    edited January 2017

    Thanks girls

    Big waves to my fellow ONTARIAN lafish - and yes you are almost there

    another big wave to YATCOMW Jacqueline as we have messaged before you inspired me when I first got here- as we have very similar cancer.

    Valstim52 - 25 years holy crap that's amazing!!!!!

    Wintersocks congrats on your 5 year

    Lizb58-Congrats on 5 years - I felt the same never thought I would be here 5 years later - but now I am I feel unstoppable

    crazywabbit- love your name - yes ILC is sneaky I agree and the fear of reoccurance ie hard to deal with - I just get up everyday and think I am here again lets try for tomorrow and next thing you know it was 5 years...bam

    sbeliabeth- in a way I agree with you as the day the doctor says you have cancer is the day your life becomes ever changed forever

    I love reading this post and all the posts on this site they are one of the main things that have given me hope. Hugs to all

  • fondak
    fondak Member Posts: 271
    edited January 2017

    Hi Everyone! I was diagnosed 5 years ago this past August. I was actually looking forward to coming and posting but just days before I went for an eye examine and was told the eye doctor saw something....which was nothing.....but she told me it is what they see when either someone who has had lung or breast cancer and it has spread. I was getting the prescription at one of the "one hour" glasses places in a mall. She told me to come back in a month. Two days later, I had to make a 15 hour drive alone. I was a difficult time and as soon as I got back I went to another doctor and learned it was nothing. In the midst of all that, I forgot about my post! So, here I am at almost 5 1/2 years out!!!!!

  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 956
    edited January 2017

    Wow, Fondak, I would have spaced it out too. It seems unprofessional as well as irresponsible for an optometrist to make a guess that would be so frightening. "Come back in a month"?! Forget that.

    SO glad it was nothing, and sorry you had to go through that worry. Happy 5 1/2 years!

  • bejuce
    bejuce Member Posts: 6
    edited February 2017

    Just celebrated my 8-year cancerversary!!! To those of you fighting right now, there is always hope. I had 11 lymph nodes positive and a giant tumor. Here I am, living life to the fullest. You can and will do it too!!!

    Love to all of you,

    Bejuce

  • SerenitySTAT
    SerenitySTAT Member Posts: 3,534
    edited February 2017

    Congrats, bejuce! ThumbsUp

  • traveltext
    traveltext Member Posts: 1,055
    edited February 2017

    Congrats, we're inspired, thanks for the post bejuice


  • ash123
    ash123 Member Posts: 44
    edited February 2017

    Thank you Bejuce

    Thank you for your post.

  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 183
    edited February 2017

    woop! Woop! Awesome. Thank you for sharing. So good to hear there is hope.

  • nancyd
    nancyd Member Posts: 557
    edited February 2017

    Celebrating nine years today! Don't ask me how I have done it. Truth is except for faithfully taking my anastrozole and never smkoking or doing drugs, I haven't been really good. I eat what I want, and thankfully most of what I want is healthy. I haven't given up wine. Nerdy

  • traveltext
    traveltext Member Posts: 1,055
    edited February 2017
    Great effort NancyD. Let us know when you gone the next nine years. I believe in an occasional glass of wine for the morale. Certainly glad to hear you do too 👌
  • AliceS
    AliceS Member Posts: 74
    edited February 2017

    Wow!!! Fabulous Nancy---celebrate big and enjoy your wonderful life!! Many thanks for sharing and giving us HOPE!

  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 956
    edited February 2017

    Yay, Nancy! Lifting a glass of wine to celebrate!

  • 7of9
    7of9 Member Posts: 474
    edited February 2017

    Nancy and bejuce....thanks for the words of encouragement!

  • mpetago
    mpetago Member Posts: 54
    edited February 2017

    Already posted in the '10+ years out' forum, but it has been 13 years NED for me now Smile

  • nancyd
    nancyd Member Posts: 557
    edited February 2017

    Great to hear mpetago! Got to keep on going, is what I say. And the longer I do it NED, the better!

  • kbt
    kbt Member Posts: 22
    edited March 2017

    thank you all for your stories if successful NED. Love the dance partner analogy. Alwayshope, very similar diagnosis and close to same cancerversary (sp). Reading your positive posts gives us HOPE!

    Thanks again to all!

  • beth1965
    beth1965 Member Posts: 203
    edited March 2017

    nancy bejuce and mpetago great news to hear glad you are on this site to inspire others it means such a great deal to have hope

  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 4,606
    edited March 2017

    I count from day of Dx. 11 years on Feb 3. Have my 6 month check up in 10 days...counting on NED still being my best fried

  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 183
    edited March 2017

    thank you to all who keeps us new comers in their thoughts and take time to come back and post. Really means so much. I know all of you know this because you were there before too. Very grateful to hear your stories

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