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

It's Saturday June 16th, and for the first time in 6 years, I completely forgot yesterday, the 15th was the anniversary of my diagnosis! I coasted along like it was any other Friday, dropping off/picking up my kids....doing laundry, going to the supermarket etc.... I never thought I would forget this anniversary, but I did (and I am good with dates as a rule😁) Grateful to post on the 5+ forum.

Much love for all your support through the years...

Deirdre

Thanks KiwiMum!

That is so true!! Huge congratulations on your 7 years! Here's to continued good health......

Hey all,

I am now 8 years out.

I was Stage III, Grade 3 with 3 lymph nodes involved. ER/PR neg, Her2 postivite.

I had FULL on chemo, double mx, radiation, and Herceptin, with over 250 appts. in less than 12 months. BUT

I am healthy, happy and much of my treatment year is a memory is becoming a dim memory.

I am actually two weeks out from a DIEP reconstruction and I am thrilled.

Be assured stage III gals, there is HOPE!!!!

Alice in Dayton

Thank you all for coming here to celebrate your years with us! It makes me feel so empowered to recover, heal, survive and thrive! Cheers to many, many more years to come! Congrats! 🎉💪🏼❤️🙏🏻😃

Hi All,

I am back to mark my 5 year cancerversary. It is hard to believe it was 5 years ago that this all started. It was so all encompassing that year...I remember thinking how would my life every be "normal" again. I got "the works" with treatments and surgery and suffered a pretty bad depression right at the end of my chemo. I had 3 youngish children (daughters 15 & 13, and son 8) and it was so hard to imagine how I was going to go on.

Five years on and I am doing pretty well. My biggest issue has been that what I thought were aches and pains from the Aromatase Inhibitor turned out to be an autoimmune arthritis (something that I apparently had prior to my Ca diagnosis). I have traveled a lot, taken up some new hobbies and have watched 2 of my kids graduate High school and head to university. I have developed and incredible appreciation of living in the moment and try to never really spend much time thinking too far ahead or back. I have stopped working recently (a luxury for sure) and I am working on my mindful quiet times.

I never really changed that much in my diet, exercise etc, I still enjoy a glass of wine with friends or family and I would never say no to pie and ice cream! I make sure I walk every day and have been spending as much time outdoors as I can.

I don't come here as often anymore but every now and then I will check the stage III 10 and 15 years out...I know how important these messages are when everything seems so dark.

Cheers!

awnie1301 I echo your sentiment, about the importance of those of us reaching milestones to continue posting them. I found and still find the stage 3 forum a huge source of support. Congratulations to you on 5 years!! Here's to continued good health.

Deirdre

Hi ladies,

Congratulations and God bless all of you who have beat the beast. And thank you for coming back to give us newbies strength and encouragement.

I’m stage 3C tons of nodes down to subpectoral, it’s also vascular and the beast was is on my breast skin as well. just finished chemo last week and have surgery August 10th. I am so afraid I’m paralyzed with fear, afraid of surgery, afraid I won’t beat this, afraid to have one breast, just so much fear. It’s all I think about as I watch my children. I’m so afraid I won’t be one of the lucky ones .i come here to read and it helps for the moment but goes away quickly. Had a mammo after last taxol and it showed moderate changes. Tumor is a monster 9cm. I am active in the group going through chemo but I hate to be negative with them since they have the same fears as I do. I just wish that after going through all we go through that it is a cure and we’re done. Seems so unfair to have to live day to day worrying. I don’t wanna go back to work because I figure why should I I feel I might die soon. Everything positive I think why it don’t matter I’m gonna die. I just wanna be me again before this.

Thanks for listening

Hello everyone!

I was dxed with Stage IIIC 9 years ago! I actually had to calculate because I didn't realize it had been so long. If you look at my profile you can see why my oncologist offered to spend extra time with me when going over my prognosis. I declined and told her I only wanted to focus on my treatment. I went to Seattle and saw her 2 weeks ago. I"m now one of her boring patients that she spends 15 minutes with. I'll be on Femera for life.

When I first started out, I had no idea I would live this long. It all felt very grim and I obsessively followed the bc boards looking for other people who had similar prognosis. The threads showing people making it past 5, 10, and even longer gave me much needed hope. Then I gradually realized that the statistics didn't reflect the newer treatment protocols. I had an oophorectomy and also Zometa.

Ideally, I would have totally changed my diet and become an exercise fanatic, but that didn't happen. I love being outdoors and I climb mountains but anyone looking at me would see a typical overweight middle aged woman. So I also want to give hope to people who haven't had the energy or inclination to completely overhaul their lives.

This group was my lifeline for many years. I'm wishing everyone the best. You can survive and you will get through this.

Love,

Clarice

Thank you Clarice for sharing your story and empathizing with so many of us that are in that obsessive phase. I hope and pray to be reporting back here like you in the future. Sending much love and prayers for continued health and daily joy! 💕😃

Thanks Clarice for the beautiful post. 

GraceB1, Congratulations of your five year anniversary!

I know how life throws curveballs at you. You know the saying, "Man plans and God laughs" is really true in that we can try to control our future, making plans for what we will do next year; when the kids are gown; in retirement. But in the end we just have control over our reaction to what happens. It sounds like you have gone through a lot and reacted well!

I hope your SIL is comfortable. You are a blessing to the whole family, I'm sure. Just be sure to take time for yourself every now and then so you don't reach a breaking point. Having school-aged kids around can keep you on the young-side (at least it keeps you up with what is "in") but it can also be very tiring.

fabulous problem to have Lotta...i hope I get to have this problem in 20 years too 🙏💐

Today is a big milestone for me--- 5 years from diagnosis.

After my heart stopping on the operating table for the SLNB, mastectomy to remove a 9.5 cm tumor, positive nodes with extracapsular extension, chemo, radiation and hormone therapy, I thought today would never come......but I am here, I am well and living life to the fullest.

Don't lose hope that you can have a life full of wonderful days!!

Sam2U...that is simply fabulous!!! Well done and may you have many more years of happiness and health ahead 💜

I'm just checking in because I just passed the 5 year mark. During that 5 years my daughter graduated from college and both of my children married wonderful people and best of all, in June I got my first wonderful grandchild. I have been doing Keto too, but I'm not very good at it. I want to start doing better though since I will go off Anastrozole in June.