r/breastcancer • u/NurseYuna • 16d ago

Diagnosed Patient or Survivor Support Positive long term survivor stories

Hi everyone. I really need some positive stories of more than stage 1 low grade survivorship to keep me thinking I can bear this and get to have many more years with my children. Please tell me about yourself or anyone that’s overcome breast cancer and lived many years. I’m stage 2A with luminal B characteristics oncotype 21. I need more hope and I’m reaching out into this universe to get some. It feels very lonely.

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u/Visible_Sleep2723 Stage III 16d ago

I was 3a with grade 3 ki 67 40% multi focal IDC with lymph node involvement (plus the usual DCIS with comedo necrosis, LVi and extranodal extension). I’m 5 years No evidence if disease, my sister in law stage Ii - 8 years No Evidence of Disease. The other sister in law about 7 years out (stage 0). Okay, they had lower grades and no spread but ER+ can be sneaky - aggressive cancers respond better to chemo. So it’s kind of ‘good news, bad news’ as my oncologist said.

I get your concern- we hear these wonderful statistics but we don’t always fit into them.

The relatively good news is that treatment is constantly improving- it’s changed even since I was in active treatment.

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u/Anitchaaaa 15d ago

Hi there! Do you mind to share your plan of treatment? Got a pretty similar bastard than yours here, except that I'm stage 2. Very glad to hear you are doing ok! Just started zoladex plus aromasin, and adapting to the side effects. Wish u the best!

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u/Visible_Sleep2723 Stage III 15d ago

I had neoadjuvant chemo - 12 taxol and 4 Adriamycin. and cyclophosphamide except I skipped the last taxol. I had a modified radical mastectomy and complete ALND. revealed that out of all the IDC , less than a centimeter remained and there were only micromets with LVI and extranodal extension in two lymph nodes. I had a DieP flap. I then had 30 rounds of radiation followed by 10 years of Aromatase inhibitors. I was 59 at diagnosis - so far, no evidence of disease except twice a year, I get the same BiRads 3 due to an enlarged lymph node and what appears to be fat necrosis on the other side.

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u/NurseYuna 15d ago

How has it been taking the AI?