Long Term BC Survivors

dogsandjogs

Exercise, healthy diet, trying to remain as stress-free as possible. Taking calcium w/D.  That's  what I do.  My doctor doesn't believe in a lot of vitamins, supplements, etc. as long as I have a healthy diet.

LisaH

LisaH checking in again.  This year marks my 12th year.  I don't come around here often because we are too busy living life.  When I wasn diagnosed at the age of 33, my children were 8 and 5.  Now they are 19 and 16.  My son is a sophomore in college and my daughter is a junior in HS. 

We are out here! And yes, I had IDC, 1.4 cm, stage 1, grade 2, ER/PR+, HER2+, 0/11 nodes.

Stay strong ladies!

Youngwithbc

Love reading these stories, please keep posting more!

soriya123

thank you lisa....your post give me hope to see my kids grow up to middle n high school n college. my kids 11 n 8.

jwilco

I love this! I need to check in here more often. It's so encouraging and helps me when I'm in that awful what if frame of mind.

Thank you all for continuing to check in!

dogsandjogs

I was diagnosed in 1982 and for sure it was an IDC. They knew the difference in those days so I don't think you can say that many of the old-time diagnoses were not IDC. I do sometimes think that the aggressive treatments we have these days make things worse. Not always, but sometimes---and I think the oncs should tell us that---

TectonicShift

My oncologist has a patient who was diagnosed stage IV 21 years ago with extensive bone mets and also mets in an organ (I forget which one).

She has been NED since 2002.

Yes, you read that right.

It does happen. You just never know.

Youngwithbc

I wish every story was as great as that one... thanks for sharing!

songbird68

My sister in law was dx 3 years ago with nodes+ and she is doing well. My friend was dx IDC stage 3 four years ago and had no recurrence. Another friend had DCIS and has just hit the ten year mark cancer free. The nurse looking after me in hospital for my ooph was a long term survivor too.

It's a year for me. It does get easier with time doesn't it.

More stories please! Must be time for lisaH to update:)

x x x

Lucy55

Bump

Aeon

My mom was dx at 45 IDC with 4 nodes. She did chemo and rads and moved on with her life. She had 2 recurrences since then and ultimately had a BMX. She is 72 now, cancer free, and still has a more active social life than I ever will .

I was dx at 39 and am awaiting surgery on 3/17. (BRCA negative, but haven't done the full panel)

Here's hoping that stubborn streak and 'powering through' attitude I obviously inherited from my mom applies to this as well!

1974Cher

Amazing to hear your Moms success, thank you I needed that - found out 6 of my nodes were positive yesterday, so this was much needed to hear!

All the best to you Aeon x

katcar0001

My aunt (by marriage) is an 18 year survivor of IDC--only had a mastectomy, no chemo or rads or hormonal therapy. She cried after they sent her home when she realized they weren't giving her chemo. But she has been fine all these years. Her mother was also a long time survivor (died of another cause) and was on Tamoxifen.

Cheers!

Suladog

Just checking in 25 year survivor here, I had TN breast cancer in 1990, no nodal involvement, a mx and 8 rounds of CMF

nez_khot

Hey

Margarida-HB

Very Inspiring to know you are in your 16th year of Cancer free survival.

Were you Her2+ what was your ER PR state and what stage were you at?

Also all these years did you do anything specific for lifestyle and diet ?

What treatment did you do, I mean what chemo drugs, how many cycles , radiation etc.

can we connect over the phone if you are comfortable talking.

Neha Khot

nez_khot

Hi Suladog,

After 1990 did it reoccur in 2014?

what was the initial diagnosis and what chemo drugs did you take and what were the side effects?

Also if and when it came back , what stage were you at and did you again do chemo?

Regards,

Neha Khot

dogsandjogs

Got a message from Neha Knot today and it reminded me to check in. To recap: 11mm breast cancer in right breast in 1982. Felt a lump and went to a surgeon whom I had gone to previously to have breast cysts drained from time to time in his office. This lump felt different; eg. hard, irregular, non-moveable. He removed it in his office and sent it in. Verdict was cancer. I then went for a bone scan and kidney scan because he told me if cancer was found elsewhere there would be no point in doing the surgery!! Luckily the scans were negative and I had the surgery about a week later. I had decided to have a modified radical mastectomy (no removal of the muscle which was sometimes done). They removed and dissected 17 lymph nodes, none were malignant. I had the reconstruction done right after the surgery and the 2nd part done the following year. Reconstruction was so easy in those days. I had no lymphedema. Didn't even know the word in those days.

Follow-up were annual mammograms (on the OTHER breast only) and annual blood tests.

Then in 2010 I felt a lump in the other breast. Had the lumpectomy and decided to not do radiation. Tried Aromasin for 2 moths, but the side effects were just too hard to deal with.

I only have a mammogram every other year.Both cancers were missed by yearly mammograms so I don't think they really work for me. Am trying to get my insurance to pay for MRI's instead.

conscorner

I was diagnosed in 2007 with invasive lobular stage 1, grade 2. At first it was going to be a lumpectomy, but after the MRI, it turned into a mastectomy. I opted for both breasts. I never had chemo or radiation. I was given tamoxifen and zolodex shots. It was 11 years last September and I'm grateful to be here. Back in 2007, I celebrated my 53rd birthday in the hospital. I'm 64 now, thankful.

Long Term BC Survivors