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

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  • jenni__ca
    jenni__ca Member Posts: 77
    edited July 2015

    i was 98% ER+ .... i've been on arimidex 10 years and see my onc this morning to find out if i'm staying on it longer ... so far dancing with NED ....

  • homemom
    homemom Member Posts: 842
    edited July 2015

    Thanks Weesa! I too love my red wine. I usually only drink it on my weekends, but sometimes with my job, I'm looking for it when I walk in the door regardless of the day! I'm coming up on my one year of finishing chemo. I had double dose as well and they also radiated the middle of my chest even though the cancer was on the side of my boob. The doc said that there is some evidence the nodes in that area of our chests could be affected. I was 98% ER+ and have no issues with the Al's. knock on wood! I'm thinking about a job change to general real estate instead of working for a builder.....less stress is good!

  • Ruska
    Ruska Member Posts: 67
    edited August 2015

    Hello everyone! I was recently diagnosed with IDC BC. I'm so scared. It's just me and my daughter , I have no other relatives. I'm 38 and she is 19. I want to help her to finish the college and instead she is working and taking care if me. I try to stay positive, but it's so hard. I cry from time to time. If anybody can give me an advice how to control myself. I'm so scared.

  • Ruska
    Ruska Member Posts: 67
    edited August 2015

    Hello everyone , recently was diadnosed with IDC , limphnodes involved, grade 3. I'm so scared!

  • Stacy7
    Stacy7 Member Posts: 8
    edited November 2015

    weesa Wow .. I love your post :) i snapped a photo of it just to read if im down :) thank you

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,651
    edited August 2015

    Hi Ruska, we're so sorry that you have to be here, but wanted to say welcome to Breastcancer.org, where we know you'll find lots of answers and support. You're right, it's hard to stay positive all the time, sometimes it's just not possible and we need to cry and release all those emotions... so you can always come here to vent, we're all here for you.

    If it helps, there is a special section designed for those newly diagnosed that will help you sort through all of the information on our site to find what is more relevant to you right now. It is called Breast Cancer 101 (just click on the link).

    We hope this helps, let us know how you're doing.

    Best,

    The Mods

  • Gatomal
    Gatomal Member Posts: 418
    edited August 2015

    look! Another 10 year survivor!

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/67/topic/...


  • lexie2002
    lexie2002 Member Posts: 59
    edited September 2015

    Hi Lucy,

    We have a similar profile as far as diagnosis.... I too like my wine. I try not to drink it in excess and my husbands idea of excess is much different than mine. I also like Bubbly as a drink of choice. :)

    I hope your doing well?? I am still trying to move past the madness of my disease being missed by my doctors. I've always been such a negative person but I am now learning the importance of letting go of the anger and forgiveness. Holding onto only hurts me!

    I get so sick of my doctor telling me negative things in regards to this breast cancer. How aggressive it is etc, etc. and how big my tumor ended up being. Yeah, because they missed it for 3 plus years!

    I usually don't post too much but sometimes I like reaching out to someone that has a similar diagnosis to mine.

    Are you on Arimidex?

    Lexie..... :)

  • lexie2002
    lexie2002 Member Posts: 59
    edited September 2015

    Hi Gatomal,

    Good luck with your surgery. I had three surgeries and none were for reconstruction.

    I too live in the bay area.

    I haven't posted too much, sometimes I see women who have a similar profile in regards to their diagnosis and I want to reach out.

    I'll include you in my prayers :)

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 30
    edited October 2015

    I had to go looking for this thread. Yes, I am posting this a bit early but I wanted to bump the thread back to the top. There are some great stories here.

    On November 5th, I will be out ELEVEN years! WoooooHooooo!

    That about covers it. I am so thankful for every single day.

  • Gatomal
    Gatomal Member Posts: 418
    edited October 2015

    thanks Jillian for posting and congratulations!

    Thanks Lexie too for your prayers. I'm on a trial drug at UCSF, ibrance. Hoping it stops recurrence and/or progression. I love this thread. Is it true that there were many more success stories, and the thread was deleted? Sad, but good to know there have been more

  • miki
    miki Member Posts: 3
    edited November 2015

    Just hit my 10 year mark couple of weeks ago!! I don't post much but I thought... the fact I'm still alive and well can give some hope to those who are newly diagnosed and worried...I decided to come out and say, I'M STILL HERE!!!

  • peacestrength
    peacestrength Member Posts: 236
    edited November 2015

    miki, I'm sooooo glad you came back to post today. Your post today has given me an infusion of hope. Many blessings and hugs to you!


  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Member Posts: 30
    edited November 2015

    Hi miki! Thanks so much for coming back and posting your 10 year milestone. It is indeed a big encouragement to others.

    I hit my 11th year today. I still can't believe it has been 11 years!

  • miki
    miki Member Posts: 3
    edited November 2015

    Thank you, peacestrength! And Jillian, Congrats on your 11 years!!!

  • ash123
    ash123 Member Posts: 44
    edited November 2015

    Thanks peacestrength and Jillian.Your posts mean a lot. Thank you for coming back and motivating us. Hugs

  • Holeinone
    Holeinone Member Posts: 1,418
    edited November 2015

    Jillian & Miki.....

    Congrats to you both....wonderful to read this thread, gives the rest of us a HUGE boost.

  • ladyb1234
    ladyb1234 Member Posts: 1,239
    edited November 2015

    Jillian & Miki, Congrats to both of you and thank you so much for coming back and posting. I know it is hard to come visit the further you get out. But it means so much to those of us that are newly on this journey. Yes I still consider 1 year out newly on this journey. A ((((((huge hug))))) and thank you for the motivation!

  • weesa
    weesa Member Posts: 78
    edited November 2015

    You know, one of these days we are going to need a new topic-- "15 years and out". Thanks Miki and Jillian for reporting back.

    When we old timers come back with our good health and longevity, it is like throwing a pebble in a pond--the circles just keep getting bigger and bigger and enveloping so many people with hope.

  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 1,458
    edited November 2015

    I agree Weesa. For those 15 and out, please start a new thread. We have a 5 and a 10, let's see the 15 and 20s give us a big winner's wave!

  • jenni__ca
    jenni__ca Member Posts: 77
    edited November 2015

    15 and out would be a cool thread !!

    congrats to all on milestones !!

  • kcinmn
    kcinmn Member Posts: 24
    edited November 2015

    Miki and Jillian - CONGRATS!

    And thank you for posting! You give encouragement and hope

  • lucca06
    lucca06 Member Posts: 17
    edited November 2015

    I'm personally looking at celebrating 5 years in March 2016 but I had a long conversation a few days ago with a Stage 3 lady who had it 23 years ago!!

  • lucca06
    lucca06 Member Posts: 17
    edited November 2015

    I'm personally looking at celebrating 5 years in March 2016 but I had a long conversation a few days ago with a Stage 3 lady who had it 23 years ago!!

  • faithfulheart
    faithfulheart Member Posts: 25
    edited November 2015
    Weesa, you do rock!!!!! congrats and cheers !!!!!!!! I know you will make one of your fabulous cocktails to celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!! much love sister!!!!!!!
  • weesa
    weesa Member Posts: 78
    edited November 2015

    Thirteen years tomorrow.

    I just read Faithfulheart's comment above about my celebratory cocktails and realized it's time to get out the very large pitcher, (the one that gets pressed into watering the geraniums in the summer),and mix me a big ole batch of margaritas. I make em healthy, with no salt. Plenty of lime juice, beer, 7-up and tequila. Pretty remarkable recipe--covers all the food groups in one healthy libation.

    I often get personal messages asking for the skinny on my survivorhood, and I do think that cancer cells can't hardly live in my alcohol stream.

    But here is a couple of more sensible, mature thoughts as well: I had a tough time taking aromatase inhibitors. My joints became so inflamed that both shoulders tore, and one knee. All had to be repaired surgically. What I learned to do, along with my onc, was figure out how little of the AI I could take and still keep my estradiol level in a low, safe range. I tried every other day, and or taking half a pill a day. I found a lab willing to do a sensitive assay on the estradiol level. Much to my surprise, I did not have to take a full dose every day to maintain the safe level of estradiol, and taking a smaller dose helped my inflammation in the joints tremendously .It makes sense to me that we all should not be taking the same dosage.

    Well... I am sending you all a cyber margarita. Not just for me-- for all of you--we need to congratulate ourselves on how the longevity is piling up here. We Stage 3ers are on the cutting edge of newer, more optimistic statistics. Many women with the scariest statistics are thriving. I myself did not ever expect to be here tonight, despite my cancer-kicking health juices. I had an 8 cm IDC and a layer of lobular underneath it. My sentinel node was 2 cm of tumor and many other nodes were bursting with cancer. Worst of all, my KI-67 was 75%.

    So, I have just dropped a pebble in your worry pond, let it start ripping outward and give you hope. Love and admiration, Weesa

  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 1,458
    edited November 2015

    Yay Weesa! Congrats! And thanks for sharing your secret, aside from the alcohol stream. Seems you may be the first to create the 15 years and out thread we are hoping to see! You go girl! xo

  • traveltext
    traveltext Member Posts: 1,055
    edited November 2015

    Yes, weesa, you're a role model for sure. Those of us just a year or so out from treatment need to relax and get on with life knowing there's plenty of long-term stage III survivors out there. I'm the only guy posting with on BCO with IBC, so I have to rely on all the lovely women here for inspiration and guidance and you are up there with several other great mentors. 


  • jenni__ca
    jenni__ca Member Posts: 77
    edited November 2015

    go weesa !! i'm following along behind you ....

    fortunately i had minimum amount of side effects from the arimidex and now after 10 years on it my onc took me off .... so sorry to hear you had such a rough go of it ... my sister had to stop AI's after a couple of years due to bone density loss

    congrats to us all for all of our milestones big and small

  • lkc
    lkc Member Posts: 183
    edited November 2015

    congrats on your 13th, awesome lady. Hope your enjoying with some tasty beverages!

    ( love the new 15th thread)

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