5 years since my diagnosis...

Thank you for starting this post. I almost totally broke down and fell to pieces reading this. I am so scared all the time - especially with my grade 3 HER2+ status. I really needed to see some women with the same or higher stage diagnosis are still here and well. I am less than a month away from my one year NED (surgery) anniversary. I decided to celebrate my NED date instead of my diagnosis date. When I first got diagnosed when I heard it would be a victory to live 5 years it seemed so horrible. Now I happily embrace the hopes of that one victory. I leased a new car on Saturday - a 4-year lease. . I was sending a message to myself that it is OK to plan to be here. My MUGA scan didn't come back good so I'm going through heart scans...but I am still here!! I have 8 months of Herceptin behind me - which I hope did some good even if my heart doesn't allow me to continue. My reconstruction isn't too attractive without clothes on but I look really good in a t-shirt. I'm still employed, still with my boyfriend of 5 years, and charging onward! I'm not even bankrupt as I worried about every single day. I have my parents to thank for this...my dad sent me a big check just before he passed away unexpectedly in 2012. Life is something else.

I am 6 years post chemo (5 years herceptin) and feel like I am in my 30's most of the time (actually 62 and do daily exercise).

I do have my annual CT/PET scan and oncologist visit coming up in a few weeks.  There is still that little bit of scanxiety, but it not even close to the level of those first few years.

lago,

My onc left it up to me if I would have a scan this year.  I decided to do it because I don't have mammograms and I am not due for an MRI to see if my implants are intact.  I also had major surgery last June to repair a large hiatal hernia and pull my stomach back down below the diaphragm.

The hernia always showed on the scan so this years scan will also show if any problems might still exist.  I will provide a disk of the scan to my surgeon at my one year follow up appointment for his review.  He already told me he would like to see it.  He used last year's scan as part of his intial consultation on what to do for the hernia. 

Brenda Congratulations on 6 years! Remember they are super careful once you've been diagnosed. Many times its a cyst, fibrosis, benign issue. At the very worst, if it is cancer, this sounds like something new not a recurrence. Very treatable.  I'm hoping for B9 for you.

2 years 5 months since diagnosis....phew (so far...)

Brenda,

I had a BIRADS 5 classification on my mammogram of my remaining breast.  Because I wanted to have the second breast removed in any case, I seized my opportunity and went in for a simple mastectomy.

A complete slicing and dicing by the pathologist found absolutely nothing except typical benign changes of an aging breast.

I am alive and well!!  NED!

This is my first post and I am out 6 years 3 months.  Stage 1, Her2+, Grade 3+++

So encouraging!!!  Hang in there!!

5 years for me as of May 2, 2008.    Congrats to all of you.    

Five years yesterday for me!  Thought Id post because i remember being so happy seeing people so far out with my stats    I know alot of gals who are five years out this year!

Thanks for all the positive posts. It helps!

My symptoms started in June 2011, so at this point I consider myself 2 years alive with HER2+ Stage IV breast cancer to the liver.  It's been  a long, hard battle, and it's a miracle I'm still alive.

Thank God for lucky biology and an incredible oncologist.

Gritgirl, there is a trial ongoing for a heceptin-chemo conjugate for metastatic Her2+ cancer, are you eligible? It sounds good from the Phase II trials at least. Kills the cells more directly.

Thank you Dolores and congratulations!!!!!

Congrats.. thanks for sharing!