Stage III Cancer Survivors ...Five + Years and Out.

I also am celebrating 5 yrs this year. I had quite a pity party in the beginning looking at numbers and just knowing i was done. Chemo and rads were no fun...going through treatments during pink month was no fun...but 5 yrs later here i am and I have some awesome sisters on BCO! 3 is just a number!!! Best of wishes to those just beginning the journey!! Look forward to hearing YOUR survivor story!

Betty, thanks!

hi i am stage 3c. and many nodes positive with excapupular and vascular invasion. my bs told me that it was still curable, but it is sooo close to stage 4 . what if mets were just to small to detect at the time of dx? i will bookmaark into my faves, so i can come back here

well done bettysgirl so encouraging. Have you finished hormone treatment?

Hi, I do not have a bc dx, but I did want to say my mother was dx with Stage IIIc ILC when she was 48. ER+, 6+ cm tumour, 19+20 nodes. She was treated with surgery (MX/PMX), chemo, rads, and tamoxifen. She switched to femara after 5 years of tamox (I think that was around the time, at least). While she does have lymphedema which does cause quite a few ongoing issues, she is now 56 and NED, and lives a very active and healthy life. Her "anniversary" is in December. We know there is never an "out of the woods" in such a case, sadly from personal experience with other family members, but we do feel so fortunate to be looking at 8 years out with NED especially given how "dire" our outlook was back at the time of her dx.

Thanks for sharing your mom's story with us Divecat!

Thanks DiveCat! I want to be in your mom's boat when I grow up :0)

Hope all is well with the bc.org community. I haven't checked in for ages but am heading for 9.5 years since DX. Just got an irregular Liver enzyme test result that needs further testing. Haven't thought too much about my BC for ages but an irregular test can still throw you off your calm and stable life. Huge achievement this year as my eldest son has graduated from high school and the younger one is now 14.

Congrats Fitzy and Yorkie!!!  Thank you for posting.  Wishing you many more years!!!

hi fitzy I am in Victoria just wondering what a liver enzyme test is? Thanks you girls for posting so encouraging

Fitzy and Yorkie - Thank you for coming back and posting!   You are a great encouragement to me!  

Thank you to everyone for sharing your encouraging experiences! I've been reading your stories since my journey started three months ago, and you all have been such a source of strength.

Damn, I've got liver mets! I will fight it again. I am going to get my younger son through school too. Good luck to everyone. I will have to move into the Stage IV group now. Thank goodness there are some good stories to pin hope on of people living with Liver Mets. This week will be spent getting the best treatment plan and preparing for battle. I have felt so good, I'm so fit again, such a bummer to get this crap news! BUT we will keep on keeping on.

Fitzy,

So sorry to hear your crap news But...you said yourself you feel great and are in great shape. That means you are in top fighting form to kick this in the ass and put it back at the curb where it belongs.

Best of luck as you get your plan together. Hugs and prayers.

Fitz, I am so sorry. Being in good shape ought to help you through treatment. Cancer really is just a total douche-bag.