Stage III & grade 3

Despina, yassou (if you speak Greek). It is stupid and awful disease, but your mom is right, it is also "just" disease. It is good not to let it interfere with enjoyment of life any more than absolutely unavoidable.

You will find many women in this forum who have survived a long time after treatment for stage 3BC, many of whom are still going strong. We are all surviving. None of us knows for how long we will keep on surviving, but in the end that is true for everybody, with or without cancer.

My onc's mantra was "live your life," and I think it is a pretty good motto.

Momine is right. We are all living. And we are all dying. You too. And your mom.

I was diagnosed with stage IIIc grade 2 breast cancer in October 2011. I had it in 11 of my lymph nodes, some of which were busting open with cancer. I had scans in April 2014 and they were clean. So far I am doing well.

Will it come back for me? Definitely is a big possibility. But it might not. Breast cancer, even stage III breast cancer, isn't necessarily a death sentence.

Even stage IV patients are living longer and longer. Lots of them get treated and go into remission and stay in remission for years. I know of one stage IV patient who has been in remission since 2003.

Your mom has a hard job ahead of her as treatment is time-consuming and not a lot of fun. But she will get through it as we all do.

By the way I know the grade 3 sounds scary and it is a more aggressive cancer than lower grade -- but keep in mind that the higher the grade of the cancer the more likely it is to be killed by chemotherapy. Most patients who have pathologic complete response (meaning all signs of the tumor are gone after chemo) are grade 3.

Παρακάλω! 

The best thing you can do for your mom is to let her talk, do fun things with her and simple things like make sure she gets out for a walk, has something nice to eat or drink etc.

I am also in Athens, by the way, although I am not Greek.

Hi - I am another stage 3C here - I started with a whole whack of cancer in breast and lymph nodes. 3 tumors one 9cm in my breast and 1cm and 2cm in my lymph nodes that broke open and 17 cancerous nodes. I was diagnosed January 2012 did all treatment and now today I do zumba , belly dancing, zumba toning , ellipitical machine 5 or more days a week. I think it is important to take care of yourself and eat well through out this -exercise even just walking (I could barely do that for about a year I had a pretty bad go of it and was very sick) but now time has passed my body is stronger now and I am doing great.

As momime said in her post- live your life- I agree those are great words to live by. It is hard to get that mindset in the beginning but as time goes by she will gain strength of mind and understand what we are all saying.

One other very important part is for you to - live your life- as well I found it easier on me when I saw my family doing normal things with there lives - day to day usual stuff- it made me feel more normal as well.

Hugs to you and your mom

It's great to hear other people's stories who have been thru this and are doing well:) it is very inspirational.... I was diagnosed with stage 3a, grade 3 breast cancer earlier this year.  Did the chemo and just finished radiation. Now just taking it one day at a time.  

Hi Despina, I am 28 this year, 2 years ago I was diagnosed with DCIS and had mastectomy without further treatment. I was told by my doctor that I was very lucky that my cancer was non-invasive and all breast cells were removed from mastectomy, there is no chance of recurrence on the same breast. 2 years later (last month), I was diagnosed with stage 3b breast cancer on the same breast , the tumours grew under the skin and on the same breast that I had mastectomy!  Even the most impossible had happened, but I was never once afraid, this is because i know breast cancer is very common, and it is most treatable and manageable. Reading and researching on breast cancer helps too, from the saying 'fear lies in the unknown', the more I gear myself with more 'knowns', fear goes away. Please stay happy, positive and healthy so that you can take care of your mum well !