BCO members for 10 or more years - read their inspiring stories
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Msphil..Doesn't matter if you've posted on this thread before ..Your story is so inspiring..Please share it again !
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Bump
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I am so glad to see all of these survivor stories! You all don't know what it means to us (still in the battle) to hear of your success and survival. On down days, the fear of recurrence can sneak in your mind as well as the thoughts of what if's. Any triple positive survivors out there? I would love to hear from you!
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Oh Lucy55 I'm proud n humbled to be an Inspiration here to others going thru this difficult time. To start I was planning my 2nd marriage to man I prayed for then as I showered that morning after my Fiancee left for work. That is when I found the lump in the L breast working in medical field 1st as Instrument tech in O R. I was working at the city clinic when I asked my friend a doctor there to do needle biopsy I knew from his and my nurse friend eyes. It was Sept of 1993 Oct had biopsy had hospital days later was called it was metastatic to lymph nodes I had pain under that arm before the diagnosis. 3 mo chemo before L mastectomy instead of lumpectomy then 3mo after we got married then rads 7wks and 5yrs Tamoxifen..as of 1994 I am Praise God 24yr Survivor this yr. My book I wrote The Healings Of Breast Cancer, A Physical and Spiritual Healing Of My Body and Soul by Mrs Phyllis Alexander on amazon.com and Barnes n noble has also Inspired others .Positivity n Hope Family Support. idc stage2 0/3 nodes Lmast chemo rads 5yrs on Tamoxifen God Bless Us All.
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Thought I'd give this wonderful thread a bump !!!
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Hi there!
I am a classic 10 year survivor. My tumor was stage 1, Grade 1, 1.5 cm. I had a lumpectomy, and was fortunate to be in a test of accelerated radiation. Tamoxifen followed.
When I was diagnosed, my daughter was in high school -- now she is in grad school, adult and happy.
Here;s to all of you, may you have the same life with NED (no evidence of disease) that I have had
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Thank you ICanDoThis! I love to hear from long-term survivors.
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Bumping to spread some inspiration!
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I was dx'd with stage IIb IDC. My tumor was measured 3.5 cm and 2 nodes came back positive.
It was when I was 39 years old and now I'm turning 53 this coming December.
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Great stories ...Thank you all for sharing !
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Just realized I will be a member of this group this month!!!! Same story as many--lump found, ultrasound, biopsy- initial thoughts-lumpectomy and radiation. Oncotype score of 26 or 27 moved me to lumpectomy and chemo-- no nodes. This was before the Tailor x trial (although I still would have been a candidate for chemo). Did the four rounds of chemo while working full-time and bringing up my young children. I had great health care and great doctors--but the terror attached to the beginning is something I can still recall. No bc in my family, it was a huge shock. Once I had a plan in place, I felt so much better. So, it is just about 10 years (Oct 29). If you are just arriving here, you will have the great support of this community and everyone here contributes in so many ways. I have learned so much from the people here over the years. It is a wonderful community. I hope for many, many decades more!!!
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hi everyone, I got diagnosed in November 2017 ( at age 33), I am doing quite well but there are days I feel blue...and It takes me a couple of minutes to feel again well after reading such inspiring stories. Thank you all.
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New here and just got diagnosed, not so easy the fear is terrible but the testimonies are encouraging.
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Oops - We're so sorry for the circumstances that have brought you to our Community, but we're glad you've joined us and found the thread encouraging. We know it's scary and all very confusing right now, but you are not alone! You will find many members here that will understand what you're going through and will be able to offer you great support. Also, please, visit the following section for Members Who've Just Been Diagnosed for helpful information.
Sending our kindest regards to you.
The Mods
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hi LizM. I am curious
I had to be taken off of Femara after 10.5 years (about one if those years was tamoxifen) they took me off bc my bones were getting osteoporosis and osteopenia. It was getting g worse and they said that ten years is as far as should go with the femara. I didn't want to come off of it at all. I have been afraid these past two years. I found out that tamoxifen may also work but I also know that is used when you are premenopausal. They didn't offer it to me. What does your dr say about the length of taling femara. Thx JCP
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Hi Liz
Glad your doing great! How have you liked Femara...why did you choose it and how are your side effects? I'm just beginning my journey, recent lumpectomy and awaiting my oncotype results. Ty Kate
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thank you for sharing your story. I haven’t checked in for awhile. I’m two years out since my diagnosis. I’m really struggling right now. Every ache or pain I have, I become convinced the cancer is back. I have a very pro active oncologist and receive a pet scan once a year and monthly blood work and I see him every other month. I just had my scan two months ago and it was clear and blood work was great. Yet, here I am and everything makes me think it’s back. I’m on meds for anxiety, sometimes they work and sometimes they just don’t. I never knew how hard this would be. I know my oncologist can’t babysit me. He sometimes uses tuff love with me and has to be incredibly firm. I just wish I could learn how to not live in this constant state of fear where every little ache or pain (all of which I had for years before breast cancer) didn’t send me into a tailspin. The more I obsess on it, the more it hurts. The mind is so powerful. I saw my oncologist Monday, he told me I have got to learn to get this under control so I don’t give myself an ulcer. I just don’t know how.
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Minnesota mom, wow, did you have a really high Oncotype? Otherwise I don’t understand why you see your oncologist so often. I went to 6 month visits after the first year and I have never had a PET scan. Maybe if you could start stretching out your appts, cancer wouldn’t be on your mind so much. My first year was a year of high anxiety and my oncologist said something similar to me. I went to counseling, upped my Vit D and started taking magnesium. In addition, I try to walk every day because exercise can reduce your chance of recurrence by 40%. Something I heard on here helped too. If you do recur, you will have wasted time worrying about it instead of enjoying life. I know it is tough, but another strategy is to give yourself a few minutes to think about it then try not to for the rest of the day. Keeping busy helps too.0
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Minnesota, I also don't know why you are seeing your oncologist so often and I have NEVER had a PET scan. You might want to start asking some questions as to why you are on the schedule you are on. It is hard to move forward when you are spending so much time at the doctor. I will second some of Peregine's advice. Exercise is the MOST important non-medical thing you can do to reduce recurrence chances, so if you aren't on some sort of exercise program.....get started. (If you want some fitness buddies check out the Lets Post Our Daily Exercise thread on the fitness form). It's hard in the time of Covid, but if you are busy doing other things you don't have time to think about cancer that much. I would encourage you to keep your social connections strong (even if it's through Zoom, phone calls etc), learn a new language, or start trying new recipes or attend lectures online or whatever is something you have thought would be interested in but never took the time to check out before. If you have a weird ache or pain, write down on your calendar to see if it is still there in two weeks and then don't let yourself think about it until then (unless it is an emergency, of course). Same with even thinking about cancer, schedule 'worry time' and do not let yourself go there except during that time. The more you fill your life with other things, the less time cancer will take from you. As Peregrine said, if the cancer doesn't come back (which it shouldn't based on your statistics) then you have spent a lot of time and physiological energy worrying about nothing. And my thought was, if it did come back, then I better get busy making memories and enjoying my life NOW!
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I just found this thread. I was diagnosed with DCIS in R breast in 2007, grade 2. Had lumpectomy, radiation and since I was er/pr negative no further treatment. I had my regular mammograms and had started to think this was it. In Jan. 2020 had my yearly mammogram thinking nothing of it but was called back for archictural distortion on the L breast. Still was not concerned but low and beyond had IDC. Very small, low grade and very treatable. All genetic testing negative, Just unlucky twice but have a huge family history of BC. All this said, I am blessed and doing very well. Both breasts have been radiated so hope no further BC in my life but one never knows.
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I know I posted in the old page, this July I will be 30 years from diagnosis, mastectomy, chemo.
Was a young mother,wife, that was totally ignorant of cancer.
Never met any that had.
There was no interne6.
The National Breast Cancer Coalición and The Cáncer Institute were helpful.
My diagnosis prompted me to become a volunteer in a Cáncer center, later going back to university and get another degree to work in the medical field in oncology.
I have had 3 times biopsies, twice to remove microcalcifications behind my chest, one lump ,benign 2 years ago from the breast left.
Be positive, avoid negative people , look forward, be careful about advise, change doctors if you need a second opinion.
You are the most important person during this unwanted trip.
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What a lovely post to read, @dreaming. Thank you for posting this, and congratulations on your additional degree in oncology! The field needs people like you!
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