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

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Comments

  • DeeMay
    DeeMay Member Posts: 15
    edited June 2018

    It's Saturday June 16th, and for the first time in 6 years, I completely forgot yesterday, the 15th was the anniversary of my diagnosis! I coasted along like it was any other Friday, dropping off/picking up my kids....doing laundry, going to the supermarket etc.... I never thought I would forget this anniversary, but I did (and I am good with dates as a rule😁) Grateful to post on the 5+ forum.

    Much love for all your support through the years...

    Deirdre

  • kiwimum
    kiwimum Member Posts: 485
    edited June 2018

    Congratulations DeeMay!! That’s awesome. Happy 6 years.

    When you’re in the midst of treatment it feels like BC will occupy every moment of every day forever. It doesn’t and it feels great to forget.

  • DeeMay
    DeeMay Member Posts: 15
    edited June 2018

    Thanks KiwiMum!

    That is so true!! Huge congratulations on your 7 years! Here's to continued good health......


  • preludesing
    preludesing Member Posts: 64
    edited June 2018

    congrats to all of you! 💐💐

  • thrmine
    thrmine Member Posts: 30
    edited June 2018

    Hey all,

    I am now 8 years out.

    I was Stage III, Grade 3 with 3 lymph nodes involved. ER/PR neg, Her2 postivite.

    I had FULL on chemo, double mx, radiation, and Herceptin, with over 250 appts. in less than 12 months. BUT

    I am healthy, happy and much of my treatment year is a memory is becoming a dim memory.

    I am actually two weeks out from a DIEP reconstruction and I am thrilled.

    Be assured stage III gals, there is HOPE!!!!

    Alice in Dayton

  • preludesing
    preludesing Member Posts: 64
    edited June 2018

    Go Alice! 😁😁

  • MamaFelice
    MamaFelice Member Posts: 165
    edited June 2018

    Thank you all for coming here to celebrate your years with us! It makes me feel so empowered to recover, heal, survive and thrive! Cheers to many, many more years to come! Congrats! 🎉💪🏼❤️🙏🏻😃


  • ladyb1234
    ladyb1234 Member Posts: 1,239
    edited July 2018

    thanks all that come back and post great news and being a greatsource of encouragement.

  • awnie1301
    awnie1301 Member Posts: 9
    edited July 2018

    Hi All,

    I am back to mark my 5 year cancerversary. It is hard to believe it was 5 years ago that this all started. It was so all encompassing that year...I remember thinking how would my life every be "normal" again. I got "the works" with treatments and surgery and suffered a pretty bad depression right at the end of my chemo. I had 3 youngish children (daughters 15 & 13, and son 8) and it was so hard to imagine how I was going to go on.

    Five years on and I am doing pretty well. My biggest issue has been that what I thought were aches and pains from the Aromatase Inhibitor turned out to be an autoimmune arthritis (something that I apparently had prior to my Ca diagnosis). I have traveled a lot, taken up some new hobbies and have watched 2 of my kids graduate High school and head to university. I have developed and incredible appreciation of living in the moment and try to never really spend much time thinking too far ahead or back. I have stopped working recently (a luxury for sure) and I am working on my mindful quiet times.

    I never really changed that much in my diet, exercise etc, I still enjoy a glass of wine with friends or family and I would never say no to pie and ice cream! I make sure I walk every day and have been spending as much time outdoors as I can.

    I don't come here as often anymore but every now and then I will check the stage III 10 and 15 years out...I know how important these messages are when everything seems so dark.

    Cheers!

  • preludesing
    preludesing Member Posts: 64
    edited July 2018

    Dear Awnie,

    Thanks for sharing - long may you thrive!

  • DeeMay
    DeeMay Member Posts: 15
    edited July 2018

    awnie1301 I echo your sentiment, about the importance of those of us reaching milestones to continue posting them. I found and still find the stage 3 forum a huge source of support. Congratulations to you on 5 years!! Here's to continued good health.

    Deirdre

  • formyloves
    formyloves Member Posts: 11
    edited July 2018

    Just hit 7 years since stage 3 breast cancer. Been dealing with stage 4 for the last 3 years and still thriving! Another day I never thought I would see!

  • nellabella
    nellabella Member Posts: 74
    edited July 2018

    Hi ladies,

    Congratulations and God bless all of you who have beat the beast. And thank you for coming back to give us newbies strength and encouragement.

    I’m stage 3C tons of nodes down to subpectoral, it’s also vascular and the beast was is on my breast skin as well. just finished chemo last week and have surgery August 10th. I am so afraid I’m paralyzed with fear, afraid of surgery, afraid I won’t beat this, afraid to have one breast, just so much fear. It’s all I think about as I watch my children. I’m so afraid I won’t be one of the lucky ones .i come here to read and it helps for the moment but goes away quickly. Had a mammo after last taxol and it showed moderate changes. Tumor is a monster 9cm. I am active in the group going through chemo but I hate to be negative with them since they have the same fears as I do. I just wish that after going through all we go through that it is a cure and we’re done. Seems so unfair to have to live day to day worrying. I don’t wanna go back to work because I figure why should I I feel I might die soon. Everything positive I think why it don’t matter I’m gonna die. I just wanna be me again before this.

    Thanks for listening

  • Aussieprime
    Aussieprime Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2018

    I’m newly diagnosed stage 3 and really needed to tumble on this thread today...I’ve beem feeling like there’s no hope for me all week so really needed to read these stories

    Thanks for sharing

    💖💖

  • clariceak
    clariceak Member Posts: 12
    edited August 2018

    Hello everyone!

    I was dxed with Stage IIIC 9 years ago! I actually had to calculate because I didn't realize it had been so long. If you look at my profile you can see why my oncologist offered to spend extra time with me when going over my prognosis. I declined and told her I only wanted to focus on my treatment. I went to Seattle and saw her 2 weeks ago. I"m now one of her boring patients that she spends 15 minutes with. I'll be on Femera for life.

    When I first started out, I had no idea I would live this long. It all felt very grim and I obsessively followed the bc boards looking for other people who had similar prognosis. The threads showing people making it past 5, 10, and even longer gave me much needed hope. Then I gradually realized that the statistics didn't reflect the newer treatment protocols. I had an oophorectomy and also Zometa.

    Ideally, I would have totally changed my diet and become an exercise fanatic, but that didn't happen. I love being outdoors and I climb mountains but anyone looking at me would see a typical overweight middle aged woman. So I also want to give hope to people who haven't had the energy or inclination to completely overhaul their lives.

    This group was my lifeline for many years. I'm wishing everyone the best. You can survive and you will get through this.

    Love,

    Clarice

  • el_tigre
    el_tigre Member Posts: 453
    edited August 2018

    Thank you for sharing clariceak, congrats on 9 yrs! Whoot whoot!

  • MamaFelice
    MamaFelice Member Posts: 165
    edited August 2018

    Thank you Clarice for sharing your story and empathizing with so many of us that are in that obsessive phase. I hope and pray to be reporting back here like you in the future. Sending much love and prayers for continued health and daily joy! 💕😃




  • preludesing
    preludesing Member Posts: 64
    edited August 2018

    Go Clarice!! I just adore this thread😊😊

  • laughinggull
    laughinggull Member Posts: 522
    edited August 2018

    Thanks Clarice for the beautiful post. 

  • graceb1
    graceb1 Member Posts: 56
    edited August 2018

    Hi,

    I'm 5 years out now. Life has been a challenge but not all of it due to the cancer. At one point I had seven surgeries in 8 months. My eyes had problems due to chemo and then I developed cataracts. I slipped and broke my knee cap. I had hip replacement surgery and reconstruction finished. But I got to see my youngest daughter get married and now she has two babies along with two other grands being born. My oldest daughter has moved back in with us because her husband is in heart failure and she can't cope on her own so now I have a full house with them and two grandsons. Never a quiet moment. I thought I was done with all the after school activities and bus schedules etc but my daughter is a teacher so it is amplified instead. I have slowed down some due to the neuropathy and arthritis but I do 90% of what I want to do and ask for help on the rest of it. It's not what I expected my life to look like in retirement but it's good and fulfilling. I think of my year of active treatment as my lost year (chemo was hard on me) but I'm making up for it now. I spent hours reading this site and I think it saved my sanity.
    The sharing of experiences and knowledge is amazing.

  • nancyd
    nancyd Member Posts: 557
    edited August 2018

    GraceB1, Congratulations of your five year anniversary!

    I know how life throws curveballs at you. You know the saying, "Man plans and God laughs" is really true in that we can try to control our future, making plans for what we will do next year; when the kids are gown; in retirement. But in the end we just have control over our reaction to what happens. It sounds like you have gone through a lot and reacted well!

    I hope your SIL is comfortable. You are a blessing to the whole family, I'm sure. Just be sure to take time for yourself every now and then so you don't reach a breaking point. Having school-aged kids around can keep you on the young-side (at least it keeps you up with what is "in") but it can also be very tiring.



  • Lottanodes
    Lottanodes Member Posts: 19
    edited August 2018

    I'm working on my 50 year high school reunion. In charge of locating classmates and sadly finding that many are deceased. When I was diagnosed in 1995 I surely did not think that I would make it to this event. Since my diagnosis I have "hoped" to be around for various events - son's marriage, birth of granddaughter, retirement. 50 year reunion wasn't on the list but I feel very fortunate to be having to go through the ordeal of finding something to wear (I have ordered online 4 different black dresses from Macy's). I'm hoping that all of you reach your hoped for milestones.

  • preludesing
    preludesing Member Posts: 64
    edited August 2018

    fabulous problem to have Lotta...i hope I get to have this problem in 20 years too 🙏💐

  • katykaty
    katykaty Member Posts: 18
    edited August 2018

    Enjoy the reunion lottanodes and every other milestone - you deserve it. Thanks for posting so we can share your wonderful news

  • sam2u
    sam2u Member Posts: 43
    edited October 2018

    Today is a big milestone for me--- 5 years from diagnosis.

    After my heart stopping on the operating table for the SLNB, mastectomy to remove a 9.5 cm tumor, positive nodes with extracapsular extension, chemo, radiation and hormone therapy, I thought today would never come......but I am here, I am well and living life to the fullest.

    Don't lose hope that you can have a life full of wonderful days!!


  • lexica
    lexica Member Posts: 138
    edited October 2018

    Awesome sam2u, congrats!!!

  • preludesing
    preludesing Member Posts: 64
    edited October 2018

    Sam2U...that is simply fabulous!!! Well done and may you have many more years of happiness and health ahead 💜

  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 183
    edited October 2018

    hi ladies I don't get on here much anymore but I felt it was important to come back and share this with you. I know this isn't going to be reviewed positively by everyone. I've been doing this way of eating since the end of April and not only have I lost all of my chemo weight which was 25 lb but I also feel so much better and don't have the inflammation in my surgery area finally after 4 years. Its called keto and intermittent fasting (IM) and was recommended to me by my gynecologist and I ran it by my oncologist who also started the same way of eating program and highly recommends this for cancer patients. It helps recycle your old cells( called autophogy) and helps your cell making factories called mitochondria. sorry I don't know how to do the hyperlink but here is the video if you cut and paste. There are many videos out there on this.

    https://youtu.be/rewf0MMhGg8

  • warrior50
    warrior50 Member Posts: 34
    edited October 2018

    I'm just checking in because I just passed the 5 year mark. During that 5 years my daughter graduated from college and both of my children married wonderful people and best of all, in June I got my first wonderful grandchild. I have been doing Keto too, but I'm not very good at it. I want to start doing better though since I will go off Anastrozole in June.

  • LindaKR
    LindaKR Member Posts: 1,304
    edited October 2018

    Still NED after more than 8 1/2 years. Quit the AI this earlier this year, couldn't handle the side effects any longer.

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