Stage III Cancer Survivors...15+ years and out
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carmelle....Congrats on 16 years!! So thankful for your health and cheering you on for many more years!!
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Hello ladies! Are there any ER positive PR negative grade 3 survivors out there? My oncologist said ER positive only are more aggresive than ER/PR positive BC. Most of the time I am feeling positive but there are days that I fear recurrence.
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It's now 14 years !!!! (I know, not 15 but flippin close) newest baby born 8 months ago and another one due soon. I retired and and living life in profound gratitude and joy!
here's my post from May 2014 I am writing this with enormous gratitude that I have reached this 9 Year BC anniversary. I've recently returned from my 6 mos check up, and finally had the nerve to ask my sweet Onc if he thought I would make it back then. He smiled and told me if anyone would, he thought it would be me. You see back then it was a recent development that an additional classification of C was added to the Stage 3 cases.There was only Stage III A. and B then. This meant for me that had I been diagnosed a few years earlier I would of been classified a stage 4 and would not have been a candidate for surgery, or the treatment I received.( My onc was part of the team at MD Anderson that pushed for this additional classification to provide an option of CURE for cases like myself) Anyway, to throw another ratchet in, I was also HER2 positive and when he told me that he looked really disturbed. I was actually happy since I knew I would probably get the newly approved Herceptin and just maybe it would work for me. He told me he had seen HER2 cases(BEFORE Herceptin) to be the worst BC prognosis and did not have any long term data for a case like mine. However, my dear Onc, held out his hand to me and said 'We're going for the Cure for you" I remember telling him then to throw everything he could at me. You see, I had just lost my Mom to Met BC and he was also her Onc. and we all had walked the long road of metastatic dx together.
That was 9 years ago and I am well. Living Large! I don't let a day pass without thanking God for my health and blessings I have in this life. I am blessed to share my life with a wonderful man who stood by me, while some members of my family ran for the hills. I have 2 beautiful girls and healthy happy grandchildren and a new baby boy coming in August! I am blessed to have my faith , and have truly long time dear friends. Upon my return home I went back to my career in research, but it would be Breast Cancer Research this time. How cool is that to be able to do that?! So many new treatments and lots of good outcomes.
Anyway. I am posting this to say hi to my old timer sisters on this board and also to let the newer sisters, know my story. There are lots of us out there.
I wish all a gentle road on a journey no one wants to go on.
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lkc thanks for posting. I follow this thread because I was making myself crazy reading about recurrences, and survival stats. I needed some balance, which posts like yours provide! Thanks again!
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Thank you LKC.
Stage IIIC for me too with local metastasis in skin. Testimonies like yours give hope.
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how did you know you had local metasisis in skin.
I have had skin rash (all over) for two and half weeks with no answers if its from chemo reaction. (finished last week)...was on chemo for 4.5 months...
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Not a 15er, but today is my 14th year. Looking forward to 15
and beyond. Congrats to all of you. Much love, Naomi0 -
Congrats Naomi! I really needed to see this today.
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great to see you Naomi. Remember you well!
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Wow, IKC. Best wishes on 14. Your continued presence here is important to me. Hard to describe--kind of a peace of mind feeling, or a sense of well being when I find a new post from you.
Grateful for you, Weesa
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Woohoo, lkc ! So happy you continue to be doing so well ! Yippee!
Naomi! I remember you, too! I’m so thankful that you are doing so well also! Great to hear!
Hugs,
Lexi
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I remember you ladies also. So glad you are all doing well. Thanks for being there when I needed someone tto talk to.❤️
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IKC - hi back to you - along with all the congratulations you so richly deserve!
Julie
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So thrilled for you.....lkc.
I am always happy to see the old-timers post.....it's like our "tribe" ...and it's comforting to know everyone continues to do so well against the odds we were given back then.
Also loved that you are engaged in the research.....very cool.
Jacqueline
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Hey Carmelle. Lexi, Julie, Jacqueline and of course Weesa!! Fantastic to see you all! Isn't it great the gift of getting older?!
BTW Weesa, I feel the same way!
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still processing the concept ... but I made it to 15 years !!
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That’s soo great, Jenni ! I love seeing these posts!
Hugs and Prayers,
Lexi
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This topic has been a repository of hope, as I had dared hope. Despite serious disease, so many of us are doing well many years later.
We're the old crones, the warriors of the stage three forum, coming back to say, hey, it was temporarily awful, but I'm living large now on my own terms. It's important work here; like throwing a pebble in the pond and watching the ripples creep outward, encompassing so many people needing hope. Keep up the good work! Thank you to all who stop by here. Never underestimate our force.
One of the oldest rats in the Stage 3 barn, Weesa
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So well said Weesa.....
I don't think many of us old rats thought a "15 years out" post was possible.....such a blessing to see names adding up.
It's like that story about a group of men building train tracks through the mountains before a train was even built strong enough to use them. They built it on hope that one day the train could be built. Years later a train WAS built that could make the steep course.
You built this post.....with hope that we would be able to add our names in the future. I feel very fortunate to have hit 15 years last week.
Blessings to all no matter where you are on this journey..... and may we all get the chance to add our name.
Jacqueline
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That is wonderful.
Blessings to you!!
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Jacqueline, yatcomw, Big month for you--15 years! Your posts are always so comforting. My okay-ness is always reinforced when I see a post for you. Weesa
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You guys...when I was first diagnosed, scared and sad, your posts were lights of hope. Now that I'm almost eight years out, I hope I can do the same for others in that dark place. Thanks.
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i am new to the forum and will be starting with the chemotherapy from next month. i have spent this whole afternoon reading the posts on this forum and i am in tears, so much hope and positivity here, its been a long time that i felt so good. Thanks to all of you who initiated this forum and are keeping up the hopes high even after these many years. its just so amazing to be part of a group where people stand together and infuse the much needed strength and positive force. May god bless all of those reading this post, we are together to fight and still thrive.
p.s i would like to extend my special thanks to @jacqueline and @ikc for providing all the positive reinforcement and strength. Stay happy and God bless.
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weesa, lkc, YATCOMW and everyone else sharing the HOPE - thank you, thank you thank you!!
I'm only a year and some out from my dx and just 8 months out from my last chemo and I still so need to see the hopeful stories you share! I have a friend who was just dx'd with a recurrence and it has caused me some anxiety. So I needed my hope fix.
Now I can face the day and provide support for my friend as she starts treatment again.
Kim
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Hi everyone
2 of my friends are breast cancer survivors. One is 20 years out , she was diagnosed at 26 ( erpr+ her2- with 4 lymph nodes positive, 5 years on tamoxifen) . And the other was diagnosed at 40, she’s10years out (triple negative with 19 nodes positive ) . Let’s keep the faith👍🏻0 -
Francesca30 thank you. I needed to hear that today.
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Francesca30 Thank you for posting , that is amazing news and very inspirational
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Thank you all and this gives me hope. I am stage 3B IDC with skin involvement. Though my punch biopsy was negative but my areola area is still thick. I am in the middle of my AC chemotherapy and then have 4 dense dose Taxol followed by surgery and radiation. Has anyone have skin thickening in the areola
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hi all I had stage lll mastectomy /chemotherapy/radiotherapy and tamoxifen I celebrate 20 years this year
I Had a free TRAM flap reconstruction in 2003 had a few problems with infection and lost some of the reconstructed breast and went through treatment with leaches and maggots not nice but survived it.
I have started getting pain like a spasm on a regular basis when doing anything from housework to yawning stretching etc
Wondering if anyone else is or has experienced
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Welcome, Craftynanna, and congrats on 20 years! Hearing these types of stories can be so inspiring, especially for those just starting out on this journey.
The Mods
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