Survivors----please post how you are doing!

24

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  • candi07
    candi07 Member Posts: 188
    edited January 2015

    how do you determine your years of survivorship? Do you usethe day you were diagnosed, the day you had surgery or the last day of treatment (chemo, rads)?

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited December 2014

    Candi, my doc uses surgery date. Since I had neo-adjuvant chemo (as well as adjuvant), my surgery was 3.5 months after my DX.

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  • Annette_U
    Annette_U Member Posts: 111
    edited January 2015

    Candid and Momine, my surgeon and Onc also count mine since surgery date and I was staged with a Y in front of T2, M0, N0. My cancer responded to chemo and shrunk in size by about 30%. My lymph nodes were matted 4 and .7 to. 2.7 cm but they could not find any cancer in them and one additional 5th node was small and benign.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2015

    NED. That's all I'll venture at this time. I wake up every day and am grateful I get to see daylight. So far so good. Love to all of you!

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  • JFV
    JFV Member Posts: 795
    edited January 2015

    Hi ! I am approaching my 5 year mark in two months. I had ILC in one breast and IDC in another. The ILC was stage 3a and growing like wildfire. But here I am. I survived treatment and am fully immersed in life. I have 2 college age children a husband, a part time job and I care for my elderly parents. I travel more, I am braver, and I worry less. I value myself more and when I am afraid I remind myself that I have made it through chemo and therefore I can face my fear

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  • dianaon
    dianaon Member Posts: 31
    edited February 2015

    Dx 10/08 with ST 2a ILC, 2.6 cm, neg sentinel, neg vessels, imperfectly clear margins. Had Mast, oncotype 18, refused Tailor Trial- randomized myself to tamoxifen only. Stopped it after hyst/oopherectomy 2 yrs later. Then and Still on bio identical HRT (NOT HORSE PISS PREMARIN ), and assorted vitamins, other hormones (vit d, melatonin, se+, zinc, mvi, and more recently magnesium for my heart, a beta blocker/Plavix/ cholesterol lowering...Had a heart attack in Dec and a stent. ( no risk factors for that either. )

    Devil

    So, no BC recurrence; on to "other" adventures. I survived a "widowmaker"-99% blockage, no other clots, plaques. "Now I lay me down to sleep..."

    Loopy

    Still laughing. A lot.


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  • pinkchicago
    pinkchicago Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2015

    3 years and 6 months! I'm doing great. I have an occasional stiffness and need to keep stretching my right arm where I had lymph node taken out and radiation. Other than that, on tamoxifin daily. I too was randomized not to have chemo as a part of a clinical trial. Hopefully the good news will continue. Like a few others, I rid myself of all negative relationships and I don't get stressed like I used to. Good luck to everyone. Thanks for your stories- very inspiring.

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  • lamuso
    lamuso Member Posts: 123
    edited February 2015

    I was diagnosed in May of 2008.  I am happy to say I will be coming up on my 7th year of being cancer free.  I remember being so frightened upon receiving my diagnosis.....didn't feel I would still be around in another 7 years.  After receiving chemo, surgery and radiation I took a year off to decide if reconstructive surgery was for me.  I'm so happy I made that choice.  Today I live a normal happy life with my husband and children (who are all grown now)  and cancer doesn't hang over me like a big dark cloud.  I have plans for my future and I feel good and very blessed.  Ladies if you are just starting out on your journey please know this is not end of your dreams or plans or life. Even from the time I've been diagnosed treatments have changes and improved.  They are now talking about vaccines to help prevent recurrence (not ready or available yet) but one day they will hopefully be there for all of us!

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  • TaniaE
    TaniaE Member Posts: 92
    edited February 2015
    This is such a wonderful thread. Thank you all or sharing your survival stories, you are all such an inspiration. I am a survivor of just over twelve months and I'm finally starting to feel like life is starting to return to normal now, thanks to this forum. I'm feeling great, I've lost a few pounds thanks to chemo and my hair has come back curlier than ever. I'm currently taking Tamoxifen with not too many se's apart from the hot flushes but the way I look at it is if you can conquer the chemo you can conquer anything.
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  • gavinsgrandma
    gavinsgrandma Member Posts: 407
    edited February 2015

    This is such a great thread, I was Dx in May of 2013 with ILC, had a BLM in July, started chemo in August of 2013 and finished rads on 7/7/14. I was staged at a 3C due to full lymph node involvement plus a tumor outside of a node. We accidentally found some " Suspicious Spots" on my lumbar spine which tested negative for cancer on bone marrow biopsy, thank God but we MRI every 6 months to follow them so I am due for labs and MRI next month. I coinsidermy remission date my last rads, as that was when MO said I was in remission, so as of today I am 7 months cancer free.😄 I feel really good most of the time but I still have my day's, I am back to work doing hair 2 day's a week. In September of 2014 I started Selling Scentsy for something to do and I have recently added selling and using more Essential Oils in my life to help take my health and well being to a higher level. Stay strong and know that you can beat the dreaded and sneaky ILC and show it who's boss.

    Shar

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  • Bellis
    Bellis Member Posts: 18
    edited February 2015


    I am 3 years from diagnosis. I felt quite well during surgery and chemo (in Denmark almost everyone under 60 gets chemo) and I worked part time. Full time durings rads. I felt I was on a very important mission, somehow . The second year I thought a lot about recurrence and I have done a lot of reading and thinking about worst case scenarios. But now I feel truly myself again. I do worry about mets now and then but for the most part I am truly enjoying life knowing how precious life is. Also my daughter is now 18 years old and taking so much care of herself . I almost feel young again - Still working of course - but I feel much more free

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  • Mgriffiths12
    Mgriffiths12 Member Posts: 22
    edited November 2015


    Delighted to hear. Best wishes xx

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  • IllinoisNancy
    IllinoisNancy Member Posts: 722
    edited November 2015

    Hi Friends,

    Just wanted to drop in and see how everyone is doing. I am a 9 year survivor of breast cancer and a 6 month survivor of Stage 4 NETS that started in my small intestine and spread to my liver. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm going to be a grandma for the first time in March.

    Take care,

    Nancy

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  • nash
    nash Member Posts: 2,600
    edited November 2015

    Nancy, congratulations on the grandbaby! What a wonderful thing. I'm glad you checked in. :)

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  • Gitane
    Gitane Member Posts: 1,885
    edited November 2015
    Well, Grandma Nancy, I'm so happy to see your post and get the news! Thanks for letting us know. Hugs, G.



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  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited November 2015

    Still chugging along since 2004 invasive stage 3

    Do I consider myself cured...Never!....I am watchful and active in trying to stay healthy with good life choices...don't know how it's working because no one can tell what my crazy cells are doing at the moment until cancer rears it ugly head .......but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

    May all you have success and celebrate every sunset and small things in life.

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  • bc101
    bc101 Member Posts: 1,108
    edited November 2015

    I'm a 2 1/2 year survivor! I'm feeling great with the exception of being estrogen-deprived as a result of Aromasin. My memory is the worst thing, but who knows if that's age related. Other than the usual anxiety you generally always feel as a survivor - feeling A OK. If I don't do Yoga or walk, I feel very creaky, so yes, exercise is the answer to many things.

    The beginning stages are the WORST, but you'll get through it... life goes on.

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  • Momine
    Momine Member Posts: 7,859
    edited November 2015

    I am 4 years and a bit past DX. At my 3-yr check-up my doc was surprised that I was still fine. I continue to be fine for now. This past year has been both busy and difficult, to the point that I actually forget about the stupid cancer many days. Something I never thought would happen. Exercise is my friend.

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  • JerseyGirl22
    JerseyGirl22 Member Posts: 342
    edited December 2015

    Everyone! Thanks for being out here and posting... I finished chemo on Nov. 10th, had BMX with node removal on Nov. 30th... BS declared me cancer free, and that all cancer removed was more scar tissue than cancer, so the neoadjuvant chemo and hormonal drugs for the Her2+ worked in shrinking the tumor and killing the stuff in the nodes. Next is radiation and continue the Herceptin for a year to finish up. MO talked about tamoxifen to for a short time and see if periods come back while checking my hormone levels along the way... if it doesn't come back, then they'd put me on an AI... Anyone have this experience?

    I appreciate all of the survivor stories out here... It means so much to hear your stories!

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  • Mgriffiths12
    Mgriffiths12 Member Posts: 22
    edited January 2016

    18 months out and still go through the panic and what if days? It's all perfectly normal I know. Key for me is improving my lifestyle and losing weight now X

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  • readytorock
    readytorock Member Posts: 199
    edited January 2016

    Hi, everyone-

    My surgery date was 9/2/2014, so I guess I'm almost a 1 1/2 year survivor! I just had my first mammogram post treatment on NYE and it was all good! I feel really positive that I am going to make it past the two year point with no issues.

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  • jenni__ca
    jenni__ca Member Posts: 461
    edited January 2016

    congratulations on all the milestones .... !!

    doing well here (other than a bit of southern california rain ... yikes !!)

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  • Gitane
    Gitane Member Posts: 1,885
    edited January 2016
    jenni ca, I so hear you about this rain. Thunder and lightning last night was amazing. Glad to see you are doing well.

    JerseyGirl22, My BC was pleomorphic, too. January 5 was the 10th year since my last chemo. I'm still O.K. Hang in there.

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited January 2016

    I'll be starting a thread in April that I'm into year 9. Nancy, so good to see you pop in. Congrats on the grandbaby! If I recall, you posted somewhere that the NET dx is not mets....hope you are doing well with that. Would be great if any of the immuno stuff "cured" it.

    (((((Nancy))))))


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  • RLM
    RLM Member Posts: 22
    edited January 2016

    JFV

    Thank you for posting. I'm newly diagnosed and having surgery January 15, 2016. I'm pretty sad right now and feel like I will never be the same. Your post is encouraging. I'm so happy for you and wish you the very best in life.

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  • grandma3X
    grandma3X Member Posts: 759
    edited January 2016

    RLM - come join us on the Jan. 2016 surgery page!

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/91/topics/837244?page=7#idx_207

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  • Kleenie
    Kleenie Member Posts: 18
    edited January 2016

    It was 3 years in November since my diagnosis and doing great.

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  • PennyCookson
    PennyCookson Member Posts: 366
    edited January 2016

    I am 5 years out from a Stage 3 ILC Dx and life is wonderful.

    Take heart RLM - you will spend a while fighting this and then you will get back to better than before

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  • jojo68
    jojo68 Member Posts: 881
    edited January 2016

    HI everyone!

    I havent posted in quite awhile.

    Im 3.5 years since DX and 3 years since surgery. Very stable with bone marrow micromets...no change since this advancement over a year ago. Hoping for more years to come. Xxoo

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  • Srh242
    Srh242 Member Posts: 328
    edited February 2016

    Hi Jojo 78:

    So glad you are doing well!. Are u still taking Drs Wong herbs?

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