Stage IIb and 5+ years out, anyone?

HoneyBeaw

Bumping again, We need ladies that are Stage 2 posting how they are doing , we need to here your stories and know that it will get better .......

shorty123

Stage 2b here with extranodal extension and lymphnode invasion its almost 2 years a nd i must say some times i think about reoccurrance since theni have changed my diet, I look and feel better other than the SE from arimedex which are tolerable and the thinning of my hair. small price to pay i'm ok with it.

AKJ

Stage 2b here also and three years out! Feeling pretty good! Keep going ladies

ThinkingPositive

AKJ... congrats and I am right behind you! Doing okay and feeling good as well.

duckee

My sister was dx with Stage IIb 24 yrs ago and she's still very much alive! It's been so long ago that we can't remember if she was ER+/PR+ or not, just know she was not started on Tamoxifen. I don't even know if HER2 was even tested for back then. She did have a mastectomy (her choice, was given option of lumpectomy) and chemo. That was it. She didn't lose her hair and didn't have any neuropathy. I think I'll have what she's having! AS soon as I figure out how to add my stats, I will. I was diagnosed 2 yrs ago with triple negative Stage 1.

Houston2016

hello everyone, it seemed like everyone con this board has had surgery as the first part of their treatment. My MO, on the other hand, opted for neoadjuvant chemo, which I now regretted. Is there anyone on this group started out with chemo first? I would like to know your outcome. Thanks.

Tpralph

gteat to read all the inspiring stories and words of hope. Just got my final pathology back from my BMX and snb stage 2 b 1 node. Have appt. With my bs in two weeks. Not sure if they'll take more nodes now or what the NXT step it. But it really helped today reading this thread. Kept me from feeling too sorry for myself. Thank u

TaniaE

Stage 2b here also. Going on almost 4 years now and doing well apart from the hot flashes and fatigue caused by Tamoxifen but it is a small price to pay

momand2kids

Not 2B but 2 A--almost 9 years out--just had a clear mammogram on Friday!

SA8PG

I will be 3 years out on July 26th. Triple negative while pregnant. Hang in there everyone!!!!

Hugs

Roisin

Hi i was Stage 2b Grade 3 with a 3.3cm tumor and 2 nodes involved (1 under arm and 1 in the breast). I had chemo first 4 AC and then 4 Taxol. I am ER+ and PR+ and HER -. During my chemo the oncologists advised me based on physical examinations that the tumor was shrinking. I then had a lumpectomy and got clear margins but my pathology report advised that the tumor only shrunk to 3cm but the nodes shrunk.

Im so worried this was such a bad response. Im starting rads in the next few weeks but are there any stories where people have not had great responses to chemo and it hasnt reoccured ?

fd1

I posted last year at this time - I'll post again! It's now six years. I have officially finished the first five years of hormonals and about a month ago my MO gave me permission to pause to try for a baby. After that I will continue on tamoxifen only, quite a relief since I've been having Zoladex shots all this time. Those shots are a pain as they are monthly, have to be administered by a nurse, and are rather expensive (~$110 a month out of pocket for me). A new chapter feels like a wonderful and exhilarating thing!

GwennyMD

Hi, I was Stage 2b

I had small tumors (1.4 cm and 1.6 cm) in each breast and a 2 cm tumor in one of my lymph nodes. I had LX to get rid of them and then 6 months of chemo to complete the process. Because of family history, I then had BMX. I have been on femara for 4 years and everything is good so far.

Colt45

Roisin,

My 2 cents:

I think what we've been learning is that BC tumors/ masses aren't comprised of identical cells throughout. Some cells are more aggressive than others within what typically gets identified as the same tumor. It's entirely possible (and probably frequently the case) that the parts of the tumor that didn't respond optimally to the chemo were the less aggressive ones that were slow to migrate far and as a result were completely excised with surgery. The more aggressive cells that found their way to the nodes were more susceptible and responded well to the chemo. And if there were any other rogue cells that were on the move---chemo should wipe those out as they are likely more susceptible.

All strength to you as you complete your treatment and move forward.

God bless you

Colt45

I am delighted to announce that my wife is celebrating 5 years today

Tri-lady7

Colt45 that is wonderful news! It's so reassuring to hear these stories for a newbie. I have a question for the group. I had two tumors one 2.2 and one 1.5 and two out of two nodes test positive. I also had a lumpectomy. My BS did not want to go back to do an axillary dissection as I will be getting chemo and rads. So now I am in the middle of chemo and thinking of my situation. I have read that with ER/PR + HER- tumors chemo doesn't always respond so now I'm thinking by the time I finish chemo and get rads it will be a couple of months. To long in my opinion. My BS and MO said that the chemo will kill the cells and at least stop them from traveling. I am still nervous there are positive nodes even with doing chemo. Has anyone completed an axillary dissection during chemo? I don't know what to think anymore!

Colt45

Tri-lady7,

My wife had 21 nodes removed with ALND. She had the same Chemo regimen as you. No twocases are precisely the same, though.

Maureen1

Colt45 - Congratulations to you and your lovely wife🤗 Hugs, Maureen

Colt45

Tri-lady7,

I apologize. I just noticed your Tx plan includes rads. This is likely why ALND was not recommended. I don’t know if many folks have both ALND and rads. My wife had ALND, but not rads. Treatment is so case sensitive. I would think rads would clean up any local or loco-regional issue. And the chemo is insurance against any distant issue.

Colt45

Thank you Maureen1!!

Tri-lady7

Hi Colt- thank you so much for your response. That is exactly what my BS and MO said. I think I just need to trust that is the best practice for my case. It's so nice how much information you have researched on behalf of your wife. My husband has been my rock and is always there for me at every appt .

Colt45

Tri-lady7,

At some point, my wife decided she was going to trust the team she had assembled. I know that it helped that her doctors really were addressing her individual case and not treating her like a number. Initially, we researched as best we could. I was up all night many nights. I would have stacks of notes and articles printed out when we would meet with her MO and the other MOs and the ROs we consulted with. Eventually, her MO grabbed my hands and said “you need to put this down". And he was right. We made the best decisions for treatment for my wife's cancer based on the best information available. And that's all any of us can do. Assemble a team you trust. Then trust your team to do what they have been educated and trained to do. Do your best to endure treatment. Then move forward and live your life. God bless

HoneyBeaw

Tri-Lady

I understand your concern, I to worried about treatment and if I was getting the correct treatment. Because I had 1 positive node and large mass 2.69 cm I fully expected chemo and rad

I also had a lumpectomy and they didn't get good margins so were going to have to go in again. First I was given the dye to find how what nodes were involved if any, The dye did not work right and ended up going under my breast bone so I had to wait another 2 weeks to get a pet scan to find out if I had nodes involved By the time we found out I had 1 positive node I was a complete and total mess and was not taking any chances of them not getting everything this time . I ended up having a single mx

In the end I was really shocked that I would not be getting rads, even after the dr explained that the chemo I was getting would kill anything that may have escaped and that there is a lifetime max on Rad , I still seriously feared I may not have been given enough or correct treatment.

While I still have my days of doubt and fear I have learned I have to trust my Dr and then I pray I have made the right decision

Colt45, so happy for your wife, 5 yrs is a milestone and its wonderful

Colt45

Thanks, Honey Beaw. You’ll get there, too

bcincolorado

Had my 7 year "cancerverary" (mx anniversary) on the 7th. Still kicking. Still on hormonal meds but no recurrence so far.

Hope99

congratulations dear!! hope we will be NED for whole life. pray for us to finish the first chapter of this journey ❤ and don't forget, our chances more than 93%.

farmerjo

Bump.

DG10004

I was diagnosed at at 24 with stage IIB IDC involving lymph nodes. Biopsy came back benign (P.A.S.H) but I opted for a lumpectomy anyway.. so glad I did. The pathology came back as IDC and so began my cancer journey. After surgery I began chemo. I have one more treatment left (yay!!) before I move on to radiation and targeted therapies.

I just want to thank all the amazing ladies who have responded to this thread for providing a sense of hope. It's so scary to be facing BC at age 25, especially with so much life left to live! My pathetic ex boyfriend dumped by the DAY of my diagnosis and I don't have any children so I'm ready to get kick cancer's butt and get on with my life. I'm hoping to find a much better man and have children some day Hearing from those of you have had stage 2 IDC who are doing well years out is a huge comfort.. thank you!

- Danielle

duckee

Hi DG10004:

Just wanted to let you know, my sister was dx with stage 2B at age 33 and it will be 25 yrs this August. She had a mastectomy and chemo and that was it. Best of luck to you.

Djohn

I was diagnosed in 2016 with ILC and positive nodes. Had a lumpectomy, chemo, a re-excisional lumpectomy, and then radiation. Am now 1 year out from chemo and got an all clear on my mammogram yesterday. This experience is not yet in the rear view mirror, but each day gets a little bit better. Dealing with some SEs from treatment and Tamoxifen, but am becoming more hopeful with each passing day. Thank you to all you brave ladies for sharing your experiences.

-DJohn