HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Progression rates from stage IIIC to stage IV?

Lien · 09-02-2009, 03:00 PM

The thing with stats is, that they can scare you or give you a false sense of safety. When I was first diagnosed, early stage, good prognosis, I "met" a woman with a similar diagnosis online. A year later she had developed mets. I hadn't. I know several women who are NED after a stage IV diagnosis (more than 10 years later!!!). I know women who recurred when their prognosis was excellent, and who didn't with a lousy prognosis. In the end it's a crap shoot. Why did we get BC in the first place? We just don't know.

So I decided that I might as well make the most of my NED days, as I had no idea whether they would last or not. I'm lucky. I'm five years out and got to spend time with my kids, my husband, my friends and my relatives. I went skiing again, for the first time in many years and taught my sons to ski. I try to start each day with a smile on my face. I try to sing in the shower (have you noticed it's very hard to feel bad while you are singing?).

The first year is just so hard. I think the fact that your tumor (gosh, it was huge! My breasts are not even 10 x 12 cm, I'm a B) responded so well to chemo is a very very good sign. I bet you have a pretty good chance of being one of those miracle girls.

Keep taking deep breaths. This too shall pass.

Hugs

Jacqueline

09-02-2009, 03:00 PM	#2
Lien Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Haarlem, the Netherlands Posts: 835	Re: Progression rates from stage IIIC to stage IV? The thing with stats is, that they can scare you or give you a false sense of safety. When I was first diagnosed, early stage, good prognosis, I "met" a woman with a similar diagnosis online. A year later she had developed mets. I hadn't. I know several women who are NED after a stage IV diagnosis (more than 10 years later!!!). I know women who recurred when their prognosis was excellent, and who didn't with a lousy prognosis. In the end it's a crap shoot. Why did we get BC in the first place? We just don't know. So I decided that I might as well make the most of my NED days, as I had no idea whether they would last or not. I'm lucky. I'm five years out and got to spend time with my kids, my husband, my friends and my relatives. I went skiing again, for the first time in many years and taught my sons to ski. I try to start each day with a smile on my face. I try to sing in the shower (have you noticed it's very hard to feel bad while you are singing?). The first year is just so hard. I think the fact that your tumor (gosh, it was huge! My breasts are not even 10 x 12 cm, I'm a B) responded so well to chemo is a very very good sign. I bet you have a pretty good chance of being one of those miracle girls. Keep taking deep breaths. This too shall pass. Hugs Jacqueline __________________ Diagnosed age 44, January 2004, 0.7 cm IDC & DCIS. Stage 1, grade 3, ER/PR pos. HER2 pos. clear margins, no nodes. SNB. 35 rads. On Zoladex and Armidex since Dec. 2004. Stopped Zoladex/Arimidex sept 2009 Still taking mistletoe shots (CAM therapy) Doing fine.