Oct 13, 2003 10:53PM ivanna wrote:

Shortly after I was diagnosed in Dec '02 I met a woman at my docs office who is a 25 year survivor(one of my docs first patients!). I was terrified as I was waiting for chemo and she told me her amazing story. She had lymph nodes involved, not sure how many. She traveled from Bainbridge Island to Seattle all by herself to receive her chemo for 1 year. She did great for 20 years, then she was diagnosed with leukemia(don't worry there is a happy ending!). She got very sick and had hospice at her house as she prepared to die. Then one day she had a blood draw and it seemed that it was normal. She amazingly got better. The doc claimed spontaneous remission, as she was no longer receiving treatment. After all of this she was in a terrible car accident and wound up in the hospital for a year! I couldn't believe it. After all she had been through, there she was, smiling and sharing her story with me. I asked what helped her get through all of this and she replied "I have always had strong faith" . What an amazing woman! When I saw my doc he said there is a woman that I should talk to, and I replied that I already had and then he told me her story again. I was glad to hear it twice. Now I must go to watch Lance Armstrong on David Letterman!

Oct 18, 2003 07:28PM erica wrote:

Another success story to add: My mother-in-law had a mastectomy plus radiation at age 31 (she was living in Europe at the time, where they were treating with radiation). She had a new cancer in the other breast at age 46, and another mastectomy. At age 77, she's outlived her husband. Only complication--severe lymphedema in one arm from radiation. A small price to pay for nearly a half-century of survival! Knowing her story really helped me at the time of my diagnosis.

Oct 19, 2003 05:27PM seawolfe wrote:

My partner (Jon) has an amazing grandmother. I dont know the timing of it all, but she has had every sort of cancer and beaten it all over the last 40 years. Mastectomy, hysterectomy, lung cancer, brain cancer (I think I am missing one or two)! She hiked the John Muir trail when she was 80! She had a hard time with the whole brain radiation 2 years ago, but now she is a normal 85 year old, with 85 year-old problems. She called me often during treatment, and definately made me less afraid of chemo. And pointed out that since her mastectomy, all her mammograms have been half price!

Oct 20, 2003 02:40PM tess528 wrote:

Oct 22, 2003 05:40PM Shoes wrote:

my daughter's mom in law is a 20+ yr survivor. She was 30 w/2 small boys & she did it. I am 3 yr. survivor & hope to hear my grandkids telling about their 2 special grandmas.