Positive nodes with long term survival

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  • orlandpark65
    orlandpark65 Member Posts: 106
    edited January 2012

    Fran

     wow your Oncologist is a downer.   Mine never said anything like that to me.  Always positive.  Who knows what the future will bring, I agree with getting hit by a car, lol etc.  Don't worry til it's time to worry, that is what my mother use to say. It helps

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  • DocBabs
    DocBabs Member Posts: 775
    edited January 2012

    My husband's nurse had 18 /20 positive nodes and is still going strong some 15years +. She's still working full time with my husband.I give her more kudos for that!!

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  • Elizabeth1959
    Elizabeth1959 Member Posts: 346
    edited January 2012

    Fran

    I can't believe that your oncologist said that.  I am also IIIa.  My oncologist says he doesn't have a crystal ball, but there is lots of reasons to be optimistic.  He also said that I've done everything I can to prevent recurrence.  What else can you do?  I want to die of old age, not from breast cancer.  

    By the way, I'm extremely impressed you can walk while on chemo.  You should be very proud of yourself.

    Elizabeth 

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  • sweetbean
    sweetbean Member Posts: 1,931
    edited January 2012

    Fredntan,  

    HOLY CRAP.  Can you find a new MO?  If mine said that to me, I would be out the door so fast, her head would spin.  You just don't need that kind of negativity!  

    I had neoadjuvant chemo, but had two palpable lumps in my armpit, so pretty significant lymph node involvement.  Blech.  And vascular invasion present in lymphatics.  Double Blech.  And a pretty big tumor - 5cm.  Triple Blech.  

    Staying positive, though, and doing everything I can to die an old lady of something else. 

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  • antonia1
    antonia1 Member Posts: 135
    edited January 2012

    My oncologist told me that I was cured and to go on with my life instead of waiting for the cancer to come back, which may never happen. I like her attitude.  On the other hand, it is not entirely easy to follow that advise.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2012

    Fran:  I ran into a similar doc that was all negative -- nothing positive on going forward. What the heck do they know anyway?  Its inspiring to read everyone's stories about women going on with life many, many years after diagnosed.  

    Antonia - I think my oncs should learn a lesson from yours !!! 

    shelly 

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  • missy_111
    missy_111 Member Posts: 141
    edited January 2012

    I just switched Oncologist's because I didn't like her attitude.  She kept telling me that "if I recur, I can still live many years". Nothing really positive. She just made me more uptight.

    Antonia - sounds like you have a great Dr. who knows how to be encouraging and optimistic.

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  • PlantLover
    PlantLover Member Posts: 622
    edited January 2012
    Fran ...  I have other names for your onc other than a downer.  What on earth??  Who the heck knows what anybody is going to die from?  Personally, I'd find another Doctor immediately!!!
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  • antonia1
    antonia1 Member Posts: 135
    edited January 2012

    Yes, my oncologist is great. She deals mainly with stage III and IV BC, yet  maintains positive attitude. 

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  • kimf
    kimf Member Posts: 334
    edited January 2012

    My Onc told me to go live my life and consider myself cured, too. She said that once a year come back for mammo, mri and bloodwork, otherwise, just live! It was scary at fiirst, but I'm enjoying it, truthfully. I still listen to my body and check for lumps etc, but will not worry about another cancer or recurrence unless its staring me in the face. No need to be a Debbie Downer when you can enjoy each day of survival. It will be what it wll be when the time comes if ever. In the meantime, eat well, exercise and enjoy! 

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  • missy_111
    missy_111 Member Posts: 141
    edited January 2012

    Thank you, kim for always coming back, and giving us hope! 

    Happy New Year to you!!

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  • faithfulheart
    faithfulheart Member Posts: 544
    edited January 2012

    Fran, is your MO God!!  Wow,  that is just not true!!!!  You could die of alot of things, but I predict old age will be what gets ya!!!  No one knows what our future holds, not even your downer doc!!  You have had great treatment and have every right and reason to believe you will live a long, long life!!!!

    God Bless, and get a new doc!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Steph

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  • missy_111
    missy_111 Member Posts: 141
    edited January 2012

    LOVE your attitude faithfulheart!!  Lifted my spirits right up.

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  • Jennyruth
    Jennyruth Member Posts: 19
    edited January 2012

    Thanks Kim for sharing -- my hope is to follow you -- consider myself cured at the end of this -- do the yearly follow-ups -----AND LIVE MY LIFE TO THE FULLEST rather than in fear. I have been blessed with a wonderful oncologist who keeps me positive. I feel that the positive attitude is a very important part of treatment.

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  • kimf
    kimf Member Posts: 334
    edited January 2012

    Jennyruth, you are more than welcome! I, too, believe that feeling positive helps you through the hardest days, having lots of positive influences of family and friends around you is the best if you have that. My family, my dh and 3 kids were my cornerstone, my rocks. They helped me get up every day and get through each treatment without missing a beat (well, not many beats at least :) )  Keep the blessings coming, I say! Best wishes!

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  • kameli16
    kameli16 Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2012

    My mom Jennyruth is the most amazing, wonderful person I know. She is my best friend and I am so proud of her strength. I will be here every step of the way with you - I love you mommy<3

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  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited January 2012

    My family made me do three MO consults. Took me all over courtyard. It was draining and got harder to hear same thing they said.



    I am determined ! I feel strong now. Sitting here in taxol num mober 6. Only five more after that. Did my 2.4 miles this morning before chemotherapy!



    O ne of my BC survivorsand who is now going on 8 years called me to wish me well. I have a group of three stage 3 girls that I call on. This has ureally helped

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  • lkc
    lkc Member Posts: 1,203
    edited January 2012

    HI THERE  LADIES, I WAS ANOTHER ONE, WITH  LOTS OF NODES, 12 ! AND HAD ALL THOSE DISMAL LOOKS FROM DRS.

     HA! THAT WAS 6.5 YRS AGO AND I REMIND THEM OF THIS EVERYTIME I SEE THEM.

    KEEP STRONG AND REMEMBER MORE THEN EVER WE ( advanced) BCs ARE KICKIN A*** AND LIVING LARGE WAY BEYOND!!!

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  • kameli16
    kameli16 Member Posts: 10
    edited January 2012
    Thank you lkc .. so inspiringLaughing
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  • Annaanne
    Annaanne Member Posts: 190
    edited January 2012
    Hey Sweetbean:
    I had your stats, and that was AFTER I finished my neo adjuvant chemo.  (excpet my tumor was 6cm -- just had to be a little competitive there.  double blech)  That was six years, 9 mos ago.  And I'm doing great.  Just gettin' older...like I should.
    Annaanne 
     
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  • CynthiainChicago
    CynthiainChicago Member Posts: 27
    edited January 2012

    Thanks for sharing the positive news and the cute signature saying!

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  • CynthiainChicago
    CynthiainChicago Member Posts: 27
    edited January 2012

    Totally with you on that page. Same advice from my oncologist. Another doc I saw had a more palatable way of putting it. Worrying about recurrance has to go from being the elephant in the room to a mouse in the corner. There, but managible!

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  • WinnieThePooh
    WinnieThePooh Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2012

    My mom's BFF had breast cancer the size of a gulf ball and it was attached to her chest wall with 13/13 positive nodes... She is now 21 years out.

    L.

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  • Linda-n3
    Linda-n3 Member Posts: 2,439
    edited January 2012

    OMG you ladies have really helped me today! Thanks!  I have found a couple of threads that are such "uppers" to counteract my fear.  My mom is 18 years out, but her cancer was caught at a much earlier stage, so although she is a tremendous role model for me, I have just had this awful (unreasonable) gut-wrenching fear that has been draining me.  My MO told me that she has MANY patients who have long-term survival at this stage, it is more like a chronic disease and just get on with my life - she is so right, but oh so hard to get that into my thick skull. 

    After reading all your posts, I feel like I can start moving on again and quit wasting so much time crying, feeling sorry for myself, feeling alone.  As Andy says in "Shawshank Redemption"  - "get busy living, or get busy dying" - and I am ready to get busy LIVING!

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  • WinnieThePooh
    WinnieThePooh Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2012

    I spoke to my BS after he returned from the American Society of Breast Surgeons annual meeting this year.  At the meeting, they discussed that the biggest thing in breast cancer over the last few years is the push from treating stage to treating the biology of the tumor process.  They said it is the biology of the tumor that determines the clinical course; not whether or not there's nodal involvement or whether the tumor is 1 cm or 10 cm.  Thus, old standards of measurement and prognosis do not have predictive values they once thought they did.  The internet is replete with really old data.  He also said, "We treat "biology".  We have patients with advanced disease who simply are "living alongside their tumor".  It doesn't change their lives.  Even though their classical stage is high, the biology of the tumor (how it acts) determines their clinical course."

    L.

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  • many
    many Member Posts: 254
    edited January 2013

    BUmp

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  • libraylil
    libraylil Member Posts: 528
    edited February 2012

    I think this is the board for me. I haven t posted in avout 6 months as when my treatments ended I needed some positives in my life My positive postings were met usually with silence, you could almost hear crickets. Like many of your MO mine does not see the nodes as a foreteller of doom. He is very positive about the fact that I am exercising and lost 34 lbs. My 6mo mammogram 2weeks showed a calcification in the good breast. I asked my surgeon to read the films. He called me at work to say he really believed it was calcification but because of my history, let's have a biopsy. I was scheduled within 3 days. The results were back and his nurse called me the next day and there were no atypical or malignant cells. I was glad to have the biopsy done, but I was a wreck while waiting.

    With that in my rearview mirror I am back in a positive mindset. My friend who is also a survivor always says you can visit the (negative) place just don t live there. I am happy to find this board and looking forward to all of us sending support to each other.

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  • WinnieThePooh
    WinnieThePooh Member Posts: 30
    edited February 2012

    Hi libraylil!,

    I can very much relate to your post.  I don't post often and I am careful about what I read because I am still very suggestible to other peoples "negatives!"  I posted the important part of my doctors email to me, regarding stages and node involvement above, hoping it might help someone else.   

    Great news that your biopsy turned out good!  My good breast had showed something right before I started chemo. - but it was clear.  I just had my 6 mo. mammogram two weeks ago and it was clear.  I went ahead, however, and scheduled a prophylactic mastectomy anyway - which will take place on Friday.  (I had a mastectomy of the affected breast last year so my decision was based on prevention as well as cosmetics.  Figured I'd create a new matching pair!  LOL!)

    My dear friend is also a survivor, and she tells me that time helps take away the anxiety.  When something triggers me I still get very sad and scared, but she reminds me that it has only been a year and with an upcoming surgery, etc. I am still "in it".  

    Nice to meet you!!!

    L.

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  • TectonicShift
    TectonicShift Member Posts: 752
    edited December 2015

    bump

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  • Rest0nh0pe
    Rest0nh0pe Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2012

      I had 13 positive nodes which my doctor never fails to remind me of every visit. I had a mastectomy in my left breast and received chemo. I was put on Femara even before I had chemo. That was five and a half years ago. Two moths ago I was switched to the generic. I had headaches, sleep problems, joint pains. When I went to see my doctor I wanted to go off the medicine. Alot of the info I find most are on it for 5 years. I would like to know if others with many positive nodes are still on Femara past the five years. My Dr. was insistant that I stay on the drug and switched me back to Femara and then back on generic for two months and then I am to go back and see him. Needless to say I am upset and set about to get some answers on here. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Are any of you past 5 years and are not taking any of these kinds of drugs.? The side affects are harsh !!!

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