Encouragement Thread - Let's hear your survivor stories!

Karen09

It's nice to hear so many positive stories.  Makes me feel a bit better.   

defeatbc

My mother was at least double-negative (no HER2 testing at the time).  DX in 1995 and has been NED since.  13+ years!

She's not computer literate, so I have to speak for her on these forums.

Many long term survivors have moved on with their lives and don't even know about these forums.  Some of them may not have ever known they were triple negative (ie. my mother) because it's such a new subgroup of bc.  Lets reach out to these veterans and recruit them into our support group.  They deserve a metal of honor!

London-Virginia

EVERYONE  - Thanks so much for sharing your stories!  This has really cheered me along when I had been feeling a bit down.

Massive hugs to all!

Shirlann

Hi gals, I was a TriNeg, Medullary, had lumpectomy and rads, no hormones no chemo.

I am nearing 11 years and doing just fine.

Gentle hugs, Shirlann

Maryiz

Just wanted to add, although Triple Negative is frightening, it tends to respond best to chemo and after 2 years of no recurrence, you have a significant reduction in recurrence.  This isn't my opinion, but the opinion of John Hopkins experts.  Maryiz

Gorilla12

Hi Everyone,

I remember when I was diagnosed in 2005, all I wanted to hear was that others had survived this! Well I'm happy to say that was 4+ years ago and I am going strong/NED. I was trip neg, 1.5cm, no node. I think there are a lot of us survivors out there, we just don't always post. This seemed like a good time and place to maybe make someone else feel better :-)

dreaming

I am over 15 years from diagnosis, had mastectomy and chemo, I was very ignorant about cancer, never met anybody that had it, my Degrees do not have nothing to do with medicine or Science.

I immediately signed as volunteer in a cancer center, I am like sponge, have to learn and be educated on what was happening with me.

I had support from my son then in High school, my daughter just had her first baby and did not have the time or whatever to give support; my husband decided to have his middle age crisis and refused to accept I had cancer.

With my son and my support group I battle in all fronts, never I thought I was going to die,and my culture is the type where we never look back,and we fight with patience, I did not get angry,took medicine to help me emotionally, I decide that my life was not going to change, I cooked almost everyday except the day I had chemo and the booster at home and the next day because my vomiting could not be controlled. I was part of the original women that founded National Breast Cancer Coalition that with YME were the first to aproach  the Government for money , Laws, etc.

I was asked in the Cancer Center to became a professional in the medical field and they help me to get trained, certified,etc.

I am an advocate and activist for the undeserved population, because we are all 2 or 3 paychecks to be homeless and with no insurance , I believe that working people have the right to be treated , that charity starts at home,that Insurance or the Government can not choose what treatments or tests we need.

My divorce was harder on me, than cancer I was married 25 years and took for  ever , I am a practicing Catholic but also believe that one has to live with dignity and never accept situations that are bad for the family.

I had many friends that showed me to the last minute their love for others and even when dying they were consoling us.

Cancer can bring the best in people and then we know who is really family and friend.

I am for ever thankful to my son,my friends and my Church , specially for the Mass for the sick and  the Last Sacrament I had.

I believe that everyday is a gift, I do not bother with petty things or negative people that have only horror stories to tell.

I love my work and my patients.

texrn

Hi Everyone!

This October it will be 2 years since diagnosis w/ TN - being an 'all or nothing' person, I chose bilat. mast. followed by chemo w/ TC. I had 9 negative nodes so no rad tx for me. Even though

it has barely been 2 years, it feels like a lifetime ago since I started my bc journey...there is definitely life after bc! I'm sure there will always be a black cloud hanging over me, but day by day it just keeps getting smaller and smaller.

Hope and hugs to all!

mbmoss

BrendaLea-

I am curious what type of chemo you had. I was 30 when dx as stage 2, now 33 stage IV mets to lungs. I found hope in your post, doing well 3 yrs after dx stage IV lungs mets.

Thanks,

Beth

fmakj

BUMP

London-Virginia

bump

Scoobydoo

This is a great thread.  Thanks for the positive stories/outcomes.  Oh what does NED stand for?

angelsabove

Scoobydoo,

 First of all I love that name.....lol

NED stands for no evidence of disease..

Hope that helps ya

angelsabove

mbmoss,

I am curious about your original diagnoses. Did you have any lymph node involvment when you were diagnosed at stage 2. I get real confused on the way they stage this stuff.

Although here lately dont take much to confuse me....CHEMO BRAIN I GUESS.

May God Bless Us All

josiemarie

Hi All, I was diagnosed Dec '03. I had a 2.4cm lump with so much vascular invasion they expected the cancer to return before chemo finished .I had WLE and aux clearance followed by 4xFEC,4xTaxol and 6wks rads. I was given 35-45% chance of five year survival. Luckily I got on a trial to have Taxol as it was not licenced in the UK for primary BC at the time. I went dairy free - which I suppose is as good as cutting down hard on fats (being vegitarian I'd eaten an awful lot of cheese) and I took up power walking. I'm coming up to 6yrs down the line and I'm still fit and well. May my good luck rub off on you all...Josie xx

London-Virginia

bump

angelsabove

Josiemarie,

Thank you for your post. We do all need to hear the positive. I was reading where you said you had so much lymphatic invasion. Is that the same as lymp nodes being positive. I get so confused on the WHOLE pathology thing. Mine actually reads Angiolymphatic invasion  present. It does not say how much. I was just curios, any help would be appreciated...

May God Be With Us All

tibet

Bump.

We need more success stories. Long term survivors, please come and help. 

tibet

angelsabove

I think Angiolymphatic invasion present means they saw in the path original tumor there was vascular invasion and lymphatic vascular invasion. Maybe I am wrong, then someone else with more knowledge can correct. 

mbmoss

angelslove,

I had 17 + nodes when dx with stage 2.

mbmoss 

tibet

But with 17 positive node, it would not be stage 2 but stage IIIc if no mets were found.

sheila888

I am a 4 years 5 months out. Had a lumpectomy on April 2005, re-excision May 2005.

Had chemo 4 rounds of AC, 4 rounds of Taxol, 52 Herceptin  for 1 year and radiation.

I didn't have BC support because didn't have a computer until this year. So I joined this site on July 4th of this year. I was trying to get Femara site.......to this day i don't know how i ended up here. But I am glad I did, I have over 1000 posts!!!!!!!! I like to play the humor games. Everybody is so caring and understanding. Glad to meet you all.

And this is my survivor story.

<Hugs to everybody>>

 Sheila

kismet16

I was diagnosed at 33 yrs old, Stage IIIc, 28/31 positive lymph nodes. I worked all through chemo and radiation supported my husband (who was not legal to work in Canada) and 2 year old child. Did 6 mo chemo, 5 weeks radiation. Following treatment I  was able to put my husband through flight school this year. I just bought my first condo and am very proud of what I have accomplished. Hubby is now a licensed FAA pilot and things are looking bright. Everyone has been telling me how great I look. I've been rollerblading 3-5 times per week and eat well. I hope and pray next year will be our best yet. I truly hope to be the example for all triple negative ladies out there with multiple positive nodes that it can be done. I am 1.5 yrs since diagnosis... the little one is singing now. She's the light. 

angelsabove

Bump

Kathy_R

I just logged into the boards after many months.  I was dx April 2002.  Seems like a lifetime ago.  I was TN, no nodes, 2.5cm, grade 3.  Lumpectomey, chemo and rads.  I'm doing fine.  Some days I forget I HAD cancer.  Sometimes.   I Still go for yearly checks to oncology clinic and will forever.  I was 55 when dx and six months later my daughter (30) was dx.  What a year 02 was.  WE are both doing well.  Good luck and good health to all my bc sisters.

tibet

Bump.

We need more sucess stories!

Do you do regular PET CT scans post treatment? Or just blood work checking tumor markers and liver ezyme?

kmartin

I have two friends who are both 6 years out from TNBC, one with positive nodes who had lumpectomy, CT and RT, the other without positive nodes who had very large tumor, bilat mastectomy with reconstruction, CT and RT.

Both are doing great.

I am 2 1/2 yrs. out.

Kathy

lalalinda

Here I am, out living life.  I never thought I would be here, as I am a nurse and know all about TN.  I thought for sure I was going to die.  It does get much better, and most of the time it never crosses my mind- only when I'm close to another check up. I did have a Vitamin D deficiency.  I have a hx of cancer- my father died at 59, colon cancer, my paternal grandmother, died of uterine cancer, at 60.   BRCA neg, 55 at dx.

Dx:  9/16/2008, TN, grade 3, 2/12 nodes positive, TAC, 33 rads, BRCA neg,now Zometa every 6 months, PET scan every year,mamm often and now I'm being check every 6 months and still taking more Vitamin D, than required with the Zometa.

Honeytagh

bump

Numb

any ILC triple negative survival stories here, or are there no survivors ?????