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Me. Ten years ago.

Post who you know who's had it and survived at least three years. It's certainly not the death sentence it used to be.

My friend Lisa had it 5 years ago and was treated with a removal and radiation, no chemo. She's been clear since then and is a running machine now.

My friend Tara has had breast cancer twice and is now clear for the second time, over 5 years out. There is a genetic component to her cancer, and she is the 3rd sibling out of 5 who has had cancer.

My maternal grandmother had it in the 1980's. She beat it and lived 17 more years before her diabetes got the best of her.

My mother in law had it about six years ago; she's still going strong (and only retired from working at a dairy farm last year at 71!!).

My aunt began her battle about 18 months ago. She is feeling better and better these days and her prognosis is good.

In the past ten years I have met many moms at the local high school who are breast cancer survivors. It seems like a mountain to climb rather than a pit you fall into without being able to pull yourself out.

My sister, just shy of 5 years ago now. She's on tamoxifen, doing very well.

I had DCIS which can or cannot be considered cancer depending on who you talk to. I had a partial mastectomy and radiation and have been clear for over 5 years. My therapist had stage 3, treated only with mastectomies, no radiation or chemo, and is well beyond 5 years.

Both of my grandmothers had it post-menopausal, I think in their 60s. One had it on both sides. They both lived until they were 99 yrs and 4 mo!

A friend up the road from me had it and passed away from it in her late 40s.

One of my vet school classmates had it and it was aggressive, but she's now at 4 or 5 yrs clear - phew!

My daughter-in-law had it 14+ years ago and is still cancer free. She was diagnosed in her mid-30's.

My mother was disgnosed in 1998, just a few months after my wedding. Mastectomy, chemo, radiation - the works - and she was cancer free for many years.

As someone up thread mentioned, there is a genetic component to my mom's cancer and now she is 2 years into an ovarian cancer diagnosis.

My friend, 15 years ago.

My mother, 7 years ago.

My friend, 7 years ago.

My friend, 1 year ago.

My friend, current

My paternal gandmother died of pancreatic cancer +30 years ago. Hardly anything they can do about that now, then, she wasted away quicky...

Maternal grandmother battled with (breast) cancer on and off for 15 years but died of a broken heart, because her husband left before her. The one thing, I think she was certain about, that she would be the first to go.

My aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, has had surgery, chemo, radiation and has been cancer free for 3 years now (with a little bump scare this year).

Yes, have to add Mom, died at 89 of congestive heart failure six years after a BC diagnosis

Mary, diagnosed a couple years before me

Sally, colleague diagnosed in 2002

Jean, first diagnosed in 2000, recurrence in 2005, decided on a bilateral mastectomy (made the CO river trip with me two years ago )

I'll add to the list as more come to me...

My mom, about 25 years ago. She is now 99.

My mother, about twenty five years ago. She is on tamoxifen and is doing just fine.

Wicky wrote:My mom, about 25 years ago. She is now 99.

I need stories like this. Lots of stories like this.

I am sitting at my desk at work right now crying because I am so scared this is going to kill me.

It is not going to kill you. Repeat after me, this is not going to kill me.

Chancellor wrote:

Wicky wrote:My mom, about 25 years ago. She is now 99.

I need stories like this. Lots of stories like this.

I am sitting at my desk at work right now crying because I am so scared this is going to kill me.

That's why I started this honey. You'll be fine. It will suck and it will be a hassle, but you'll be fine. We've got your back. Hugs!

Three of my closest friends were all diagnosed within one year. They are all now at 10 years plus. Then in the following two years four other women I worked with were diagnosed. (It is a female dominated profession and we were all becoming paranoid!). All survived after a variety of surgeries, chemo, radiation etc. It was tough but the only one no longer living 8 years later died of something totally unrelated. Focus on your health and getting through this. Keep your friends and family close to support you. It is NOT a death diagnosis! It is a miserable mountain to climb, but you'll get over it. And every one of my friends and co-workers cried the most about their hair!

My sister just got her 4th cycle of chemo and Herceptin for HER-2+ BC. Lumpectectomy and sentinel node biopsy before the chemo (SN was clear). She is tolerating it OK...not fun for sure but only 2 more cycles to go--whohoo. The end of the really nasty stuff is in sight. She will get Herceptin out to a year and do radiation after the chemo is done. She wouldn't have needed any of that but for that pesky HER-2 receptor that was heavily expressed. For many breast cancers, there are now "targets" to treat specific receptors or tissues which greatly decreases the chance of re-occurrence. Lots of treatment options these days.

I had a maternal aunt that was diagnosed in her 70's. She lived to her mid nineties.

Chancellor...be sure to take someone with you for these early appointments. An extra set of detached ears is really needed at this time.
(((HUGS)))

Susan

My mother, first one side and two years later, the other side. Forty years ago.
My older maternal half-sister, 7 years ago.

My friend died 12 yrs ago from BC after beaten the disease once before. Lumpectomy initially with chemo/radiation then mastectomy with chemo/radiation but it had already metastisized. She fought hard but it was in her liver. Her BC had a genetic component, her mother had it, beat it, then died of ovarian cancer several years after my friend died. She has 3 children and 3 grandchildren, as far as I know only one has had genetic testing, the only son who is the father of all the grandchildren. Her youngest daughter, also a very good friend, does not want to know and would not seek treatment if she is diagnosed with the disease. Saw how horrible the treatment affected her mother.

My mother, almost thirty years ago. Going strong at age 66.

My step-mother-in-law, clean for 8 years so far. My sister in law, just passed the three year mark.

Chancellor, when I read that you were at your desk crying, because you are afraid it is going to kill you, I started crying! I so understand this! When I was diagnosed almost 18 years ago with malignant phylodes, a "rare" form of breast cancer, I cried every time I talked about it. I was small busted, but a benign cyst developed in my right breast when I was 45. I had a mammogram, and it was determined to be benign. Then I went to a gyno for problems with my periods (I was 46), and he said I should have had it aspirated. A needle was stuck in it, it was benign, I had a hysterectomy, but after the cyst was stuck with the needle, it started growing. 5 months later, the same gyno removed it under local in his office. I could tell from his expression he was concerned. A week later, I came back and he hurriedly told me that it was a malignant phylodes , that I had to have a mastectomy, and he couldn't do reconstruction because I was so small busted. And I had to have surgery right away! I left stunned. At the time, I was care taking an elderly couple and had them with me as I'd taken them to their doctors at the same time. I came down stunned, I could barely tell them what had happened. It was 2 weeks before I could have the surgery. I had been off of my horse, Khanalee, because of other health issues. I set myself a goal: I would get back on Khanalee and jump the barrels in my arena. (I hadn't jumped in forever.) I had no seat when I got back on him, but in 5 days, I was back to it, and the evening before my surgery, I jumped those barrels. I told myself, "As in jumping, you don't look at the jump you are going over; you look ahead to the next jump. I won't look at the surgery, I will look ahead and past it!" I opted to have bilateral mastectomies, although my doctor said I didn't need to because it wasn't that kind of cancer. But I didn't want to have to live with the possibility of any kind of cancer. When I awoke from anesthesia, the first thing I noticed was that I was saddle sore, and it was a sweet, reassuring feeling. There was also this strange feeling that I had betrayed my body by having my breasts removed. They were simple mastectomies, no lymph nodes removed. Chemo wasn't in the protocol, and with my oncologist's support, I opted our of radiation. That was almost 18 years ago.

I got some prosthesis called Bosom Buddies, small cloth bags filled with silicone beads. They gave a weighted feeling of having breasts but were hard to keep in. Even when pinned. I'd bend over to clean out Khanalee's feet, and they'd fall out although pinned. I finally decided to go flat after seeing a breast cancer survivor, a photographer, on Ellen DeGeneres who went flat. Mentally, I was struggling, and after a few years, I posted on here about being depressed and a crazy fear of men in pick up trucks driving down my road, noticing I was breastless, about seeing the survivor on Ellen who had no prosthesis and her photographic journey of her cancer, about her baring it all and not being ashamed. I was amazed at how supportive everyone here was. I think just talking about it and finding the support was incredibly liberating. I'd been carrying that with me for so long. In a day, I was delivered from it.

Now there is more out there about women who are opting to go with out prosthesis. It has its own hashtag, #goingflat. Women are more out in the open about it. It may be too early for you to look into a website about survivors because you are still processing the news, but there is a lovely one, http://www.thebreastandthesea.com/ .

I am rather honest and direct, and I will tell you that being boobless isn't easy. I miss them, as tiny as they were. I never miss my uterus, but our breasts are very different. It is a journey. The wonderful thing is, is that where breast cancer used to be such a killer of women, women survive! If you are feeling freaked out, scared, depressed, please come here and post because the women here, even those who haven't had cancer, can support you in a special way. I wish I could give a big hug! <3

Just out of curiosity, why the limit to breast cancer instead of including all cancers???

I have 3 former coworkers who are breast cancer survivors, another 3 (close friend, an aunt, and a former coworker) are multi-year leukemia survivors, and another aunt who is an ovarian cancer survivor.

This is doable.

Me. I'm only 2 years in though. Had a simple one-sided mastectomy. Couldn't tolerate the estrogen-blocking drugs, so am now flying (lobsidedly) without a seat belt. I was terrified at the beginning, now it's less on my mind, but I know the risk of recurrence will be with me forever, there is no 5-year safe zone with this thing.

Also in the beginning I thought that I had joined a club I didn't want to be a member of. Now I think differently. This has changed my life in some good ways. And I have learned that some bits of my life are unassailable, like the tough pit in the middle of a juicy peach.

Chancellor, feel free to pm.

I was initially diagnosed in 2009. How have stage 4 with bone mets but am responding well to treatment! Hoping to stay stable for a long time!

Cookie - major jingles that you stay stable for many years - and that those years are wonderfully full of all good things!

Chancellor- hopefully someday very soon you'll be where I am today. Just got the post-surgery pathology report back today and there's no more cancer. Chemo had effectively killed the tumor and there were no affected lymph nodes. Celebrating!

My grandmother died 38 years ago because of complication from the surgery - she was stage 4 when diagnosed. She died from a blood clot after surgery.

A friend just celebrated her 20th anniversary of cancer free. She went through chemo and removal.

Another friend just diagnosed this year- opted to go chemo with no surgery for that because she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at same time. She's having thyroid removal surgery and then opting to go with radiation. Hers is a genetic thing and she's going as full force as she can because her mom died from breast cancer a little over 15 years ago (very late diagnosis).

My sister in law diagnosed twice with breast cancer and was free for 9 1/2 years after the second round. Then she was given a third diagnosis with bone mets last Feb. She went through surgery, then three (??) radiation treatments and no chemo. On third round of radiation she got a PET scan done and came out clear. Hers is also genetic. Her mom had it as well but survived really well after treatment #1. She lived another 30 years but died from massive heart attack last year (still cancer free).

Co worker diagnosed a little over 10 years ago, surgery and chemo and has been free since then.

Agree with those that say there are so many advances now and so many people living long full lives after.

WheresMyWhite wrote:Just out of curiosity, why the limit to breast cancer instead of including all cancers???

I started it on behalf of Chancellor, to help calm her down. Feel free to start another thread.

Tarlo Farm wrote:I started it on behalf of Chancellor, to help calm her down. Feel free to start another thread.

Thanks for clarifying.

I hope Chancellor knows that regardless of the type of cancer she has or the type of cancer survivor I am, that I support her 150% on this journey she is undertaking. I wish I was closer to her so I could offer to help out. In any case Chancellor, you are often in my thoughts {{}}