5 year survivors, post your screen name here!

NoMoreMeh-I am out 8 years and 4 months from a stage lllB diagnosis.

11 years on May 2.  Finished 5 years of tamoxifen, followed by 5 years of femara

Excisional biopsy, lumpectomy, re-excision, chemo, radiation.  IDC and DCIS (comedo), Stage IIB, ER/PR+, HER2-, 1 positive node.  I don't post that often, but still check the boards on a regular basis, especially before the annual mammogram.

NatsFan that's fantastic. No reason not to think you're cured if you're still NED. Remember there is no known cure doesn't mean that some of us aren't cured. They just don't know. 5 years is a sign in that direction. Good luck with the marathon. I personally feel that at a certain age running is just too hard on the body. For me that was age 10 I'm impressed you're training for this. You go girl!

hi. alyson  i have IIIC stage 3 16/16 positive congratulation about your 5 years i hope i will be here in the next five years , can u tell me please if u are on any diet, thanks aisha

sorry i don,t undrestand

 hi Jezza I,m very happy for u.i hope i will be here next 20 years did u fallow any diet. thanks aisha

Hope59,

Big congrats to you..

hello lovelies i know this has been asked before.

when does the count start from., april when diagnosed or after mastectomy aug with path report?

hoping its april but i think you guys will say aug after mast??

xx

Perth it depends on a lot of things. Survivor usually means since your diagnosis.

I count NED (no evidence of disease) which for me was after surgery. I had surgery first. Some women do chemo first and get a complete responce so it might be after chemo for them.

So my survivor date is 2.5 years but my NED date is 2 years 3 months.

As for when the 5 years starts - I've never heard of any officially defined time when it starts.  I count the day I was dx - from that moment I was a breast cancer survivor.  My BS seemed to pretty much agree with that - I had annual follow ups with her till this year - she said since I was so close to my 5 year mark she could discharge me.  My MO switches to annual appointments after 5 years of AIs, so that anniversary isn't till this June.  So, like Iago says, I think you can pick any of your days (dx, surgery, completion of active treatment, etc.) that seems significant to you, and start counting!

Hope - love your 10 year mark - thanks for posting the encouragement!

thanks ladies im going to go with nationals, when i was diagnosed which was april 2012, seems  like have been thru so much,  if i start countdown end of treatment, it only means 4 months, just for minds sake i am 8 months out...lol

xxx

thanks lago that does make sense about NED & survivor.  i'm alive.

xx

So loving this topic.  Keep the success stories coming.  I was diagnosed a little over a month ago and have 2 young kids - 15 months and 4 and a half. I so want to see them become adults and reading these posts gives me hope.  You are all amazing ladies!!!  

I needed the survivor stories today. I too count day of dx. I'm 16 months into my journey, but less than a year from rads. The early days are hard days and I got through them. I had a double diagnosis in August 2011. Pleased to be here chatting with all of you. This post is great.

I still think surviving and NED (no evidence of disease) are two separate things. I'm going with the American Cancer Society's definition that you become a survivor the day you are diagnosed.