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Hi Kim, I sooo understand that heavy feeling when those dumb numbers come up. I feel blessed everyday to be here as we all do, but we want more. i have been stage IV officially since 2002 and had a pretty grave situation. But i have responded very well to treatments (another blessing). when i deal with my regualr oncologist, who I like, i feel like they see me as an anomaly and that they are just waiting for the other shoe to drop, which is a very contagious feeling. i think many of us fight that feeling daily already and we don't need anyone else augmenting it. BUT when i see my bc specialist, i feel like there is no reason to think i am any different from anyone else. He rattles off the success stories, "I've been treating one woman, stage IV, for 13 years-she's traveled the world raising her kids, etc. i got another woman, 9 years with liver mets on herceptin-selling real estate in Vegas having a blast, i have another woman 9 years with liver mets-doesn't even have the help of herceptin and doing great..." he can go on and on and he often is telling me of different cases, not just the same. He talks about the days in the future when i come to see him and I'm showing him graduation pictures (my girls are 8 and 6) and grandkids. And i tend to trust that as he is so hopeful about what is happening in bc.
i just wanted to share that encouragement with you and hope it helps. i am always looking for the "long-termers" myself and love it when I find them.
OH, i work for a breast cancer foundation (we pay for women in treatment to have complementary care services) and we have one gal who has had stage IV (brain and bone) since the late 90's. She shared with me that she met some others 5 years at a place here in CO called Spa for the Spirit, all stage IV. they are having a reunion and of the 10 women who went to Spa for the Spirit, 7 of them are alive and well. I hope that was encouraging, i meant it to be, sorry if it wasn't. i'll stop now.
Love to you kim,
joy
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