Surviving Breast Cancer, Embracing Life

The following is an Editorial Resource from YourTotalHealth.

After Cancer

Anyone Remember Me?  

Just dropping by to say hello to anyone who is still here from when I was on the boards five to six years ago. I'm still alive! Six years cancer-free! I have a check up tomorrow, and this board was on my mind. Hope there are others still "alive and kicking" as I am.

To those who are new, I was stage 3, ER-/PR-/HER-; diagnosed a week before my 37th birthday, and was told prior to surgery that it had probably spread all over. I had a mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy, and—surprise, surprise—clean lymph nodes! I did go through eight rounds of chemo (Adriamyacin, Cytoxin and Taxotere), and 33 radiation treatments. Lost my hair but I didn't give in—taught my class of third graders through it all! (I teach public school... went through a lot of hand sanitizer that year!) I wear a prosthesis... never had reconstruction. Didn't have it at the time of the mastectomy so I could get started on chemo immediately. Since then, haven't wanted to face anymore surgery, and I have never regretted the decision.

Fight it, ladies! Prayer works, too!
—muzckl1 

I am new to this board. I am also a breast cancer survivor, not quite a year from when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I found out I had cancer the day before my daughter's 12th birthday, October 23, 2007 at 1:13 pm. I'll never forget that phone call and the feeling I had getting the news from my doctor. My world changed that day. Now, I am living life with more purpose and faith.

I have been reading this board for a while now, but what got my attention was your post. I don't hear much about women with triple negative cancer. I too was diagnosed with triple negative cancer. Most of what I read is not favorable news and it's hard to take at times. I know keeping a positive attitude is paramount in healing and staying in remission. My faith is strong. I know that there are many survivors out there with triple negative cancer. I guess what I am saying is that reading your post gave me hope. Hope is very important to beating this.

Thank you for your post!
—janet-marie

Five-Year Mark, and I’ve Overcome Mets! 

I am approaching my five-year mark, and I have been in chemo for liver mets from last October through the end of July. I just had a PET scan last week, and we found out that I have “No Evidence of Disease” —NED! I wanted to share my good news, and to encourage all of us. I love to hear stories of others who have beaten the disease, and I wanted to share my joys as well!

Here's hoping for many more success stories from all of us!
—Whatever_it_takes

What's Next: More After Cancer Stories

• Will My Cancer Come Back?
• Protect Yourself from Recurrence
• Prevent Breast Cancer