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Stage III Cancer Survivors .... 10+ Years and Out

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Comments

  • warrior70
    warrior70 Member Posts: 101
    edited January 2014

    mmm5, thank you for the late Christmas present. That is just the thing I need to read!  Yay for your stepmom and aunt!

  • Holeinone
    Holeinone Member Posts: 1,418
    edited January 2014

    thx to all who posted, what a nice surprise to find this...Happy, healthy New year to you all...

  • jenni__ca
    jenni__ca Member Posts: 77
    edited May 2014

    10 years this week for me .... yeah to all of us !!!

  • Marie715
    Marie715 Member Posts: 9
    edited May 2014

    jenni_ca,  Congratulations!!  Wishing you continued good health.  I hope to post the same message in 2023.  

  • clariceak
    clariceak Member Posts: 12
    edited May 2014

    Breast cancer. org has only been around since 2000, so the chances of 10 years survivors posting is quite low.  I remember when I first came here, almost 5 years ago, there were 50,000 posters and now I think it has tripled.  I hope to see many more posters in this thread in the years to come,

  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 2,845
    edited May 2014

    Jenni, so glad to hear that you are doing well. Thanks for posting.

  • mary625
    mary625 Member Posts: 154
    edited June 2014

    Is there any way to find the number of 10 (and even 5) year survivors on the Internet -- reliable and current data, of course?  Since this community hasn't had enough time to create a large community of long-term survivors and there is a tendency to become less active.  

  • hopefour
    hopefour Member Posts: 104
    edited June 2014

    Jenni ca....Congrats on 10 years!!!  WOO HOO!!! Thanks for stopping by!!

  • lexi4
    lexi4 Member Posts: 59
    edited June 2014

    Yay jenni ca! 10 years is terrific! You give us all hope!!

     

    Hugs,

    Lexi

  • diana50
    diana50 Member Posts: 253
    edited June 2014

    Jenni_ca.  So happy for you. Doing happy dance. Woot !!!  Keep on....keeping on. Yep !!

  • jenni__ca
    jenni__ca Member Posts: 77
    edited June 2014

    keep on swimming ... swimming ... swimming  Nerdy

  • katyand4
    katyand4 Member Posts: 32
    edited June 2014

    Congrats Jenni_Ca on 10 years.  Wishing you continued health and happiness.

  • tessy
    tessy Member Posts: 38
    edited June 2014

    New to this forum and looking for Stage IIIc node positive ILC survivors, need some hope for the future!

  • yatcomw
    yatcomw Member Posts: 58
    edited June 2014

    Tessy

    HOPE > CANCER

    At the end of May I celebrated 10 years.

    My cancer was huge...ILC mixed with IDC over 8cm.....I had at least 17 nodes positive with two with cancer bursting out of it...

    I had it in my skin.... I had LVI..... I had COX 3+++....didn't have clean margins....

    I actually had a doctor cry in front of me knowing that my youngest was in first grade.

    Flash forward:

    I have seen two of my children graduate high school and one from college.  I have one more (my first grader) that will be a senior in high school.

    In the beginning I was sure this day would not happen.....but hope is a beautiful thing....and with hope all things are possible.

    My children gave me a bouquet of ten roses.....each with a memory I was here for these past ten years.  I can't describe how great that felt to read each one.

    And to my husband I told him that he was my rock.....the one that pulled me up when I went to a dark place.....who went and still does go to every doctor appt.

    Who helped me build memories with my children.....just in case.

    We have something called YATCOMW.....stands for "You are the center of my world"....and he is.

    For those just starting out.....find hope in this long list of people doing well.  We clung to those that were in front of us.  Life does pick up and move forward albeit slowly.

    Soon you will be adding your name to this long list of those before you!

    God bless,

    Jacqueline

  • tessy
    tessy Member Posts: 38
    edited June 2014

    Thank you so much for the words of encouragement and sharing your story with me. My youngest was 13 at the time of my diagnosis and my son was in his 2nd year of college. My first thoughts were that I would not be there for my daughter's HS graduation and I would not see my son graduate from college or see either one of them get married. I kept praying that God wold give me just 10 more years! It has been almost 2 years from diagnosis and I am feeling great! My last chemo was May 21 of 2013 and man what a difference a year makes! SO happy for your celebration of 10 years cancer free! FIGHT ON SISTER!!!

  • tessy
    tessy Member Posts: 38
    edited June 2014

    May I ask what your treatment regimine was?

  • sugarplum
    sugarplum Member Posts: 75
    edited June 2014

    Jacqueline - FINALLY I find out what YATCOMW means after all these years....I love it!!!

    AlwaysHope - just curious why the original post on this thread now shows as deleted...???

    Maybe I missed something...

    Julie

  • lkc
    lkc Member Posts: 183
    edited June 2014

    Jacqueline.Beautiful beautiful account of your road travelled. I am/was right behind you by a year and every year that went by I rejoiced for you ( and held onto hope for myself. God bless you , your dear husband and "almost" grown children.

    PS; I  too was curious about YATCOMW. Love it!

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 14
    edited June 2014

    Tessy, I had a huge, locally advanced lobular bc with lots of node involvement.  See my stats below.  I will be 10 years out in a few months.

    Congratulations to all of you who have reached the 10 year mark!

  • hopefour
    hopefour Member Posts: 104
    edited June 2014

    Thank you YATCOMW...what a very touching and loving meaning to your name...I love it!!! Thank you also for always coming back to give hugs to those behind you who are seeking the encouragement you bring!! It is priceless!!! I am grateful that a sister that could go on with her life after BC chooses to return with empathy and encouragement...it"s a testimony to the strength and courage of a woman who has fought BC and wants others to know they are not alone!! BC sisters know the true value of BC sisterhood! So thankful you are still loving on your husband and children...very blessed!! 

  • tessy
    tessy Member Posts: 38
    edited June 2014

    Notagaintoo, 

    Thank you for commenting! So happy to see you are doing well! Bless you!

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 14
    edited June 2014

    Tessy, there are many of us out here who have just moved on.  I know several stage 3 women here in my city who are over 10 years out and doing very well.  As time has gone on I have made an effort to put breast cancer behind me and to focus on all the beautiful people and experiences in my life.  It's my own personal way of making the BIG C into a little c.

  • caitlin61
    caitlin61 Member Posts: 33
    edited June 2014

    Great to hear that you are doing so well, Notagaintoo!  Thanks for checking in here!

  • kar123
    kar123 Member Posts: 72
    edited June 2014

    Thank you Notagaintoo and all the others who have come back just to say Hey! and give us some hope!

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 236
    edited June 2014

    Bump...need hope today.

  • Sarahlou50
    Sarahlou50 Member Posts: 12
    edited July 2014

    I have entered my 15th (or is it 16th?) year from diagnosis of Breast Cancer Stage III back in 1999.  In the UK I had not heard of Stage A, B or C and it was only when visiting my cousin in the US I discovered that I was, in fact, a Stage IIIb,. That said, it didn't made any difference there was no other treatment available only chemo and radiation.  Tamoxifen was the only hormonal drug available at that time and it was no good for me as I was er/pr neg.  So, if you have a poor prognosis things are not always as bad as you think. Keep positive, make any changes to your live that you wish (I made no changes!!), keep busy and things sometimes do work out for the best.  I think have been fortunate and I thank god every day.

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 14
    edited July 2014

    SarahLou, thanks for posting your story.  These posts are such a source of encouragement for newly diagnosed stage 3 women. 

    Congratulations on the 15 year mark! 

  • kdrez
    kdrez Member Posts: 11
    edited July 2014

    Just seen this thread!  Many blessings to all of you!  Reading all these posts has given me hope, when I'm having a slip in stride.  Thanks for sharing your positive vibrations and lifting my spirits!

  • Gitane
    Gitane Member Posts: 58
    edited July 2014

    jenni_ca, YATCOMW, notagaintoo,  Huge congratulations and thank you for coming here to share your wonderful news.  Hope to be joining you in another year or so!  Hugs,  G.

  • homemom
    homemom Member Posts: 842
    edited July 2014

    I have 2b in my diagnosis because one of my nodes had "specks" in it, so I don't count it lol  My paperwork says stage IIIa. My doctors are all positive that I have a long future ahead of me, telling me I still found it early. I did meet another women who used the same doctors and she told me they wouldn't sugar coat anything since she had HER2+++ and were afraid for her and let her know they were going to do everything to "save her life".  People in my family live well into their 80's and that is what I expect too. I'm 53 and I know I will be a nervous wreck for years after I'm done with this, I would like to not waste time worrying.

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