12 Years and Stage IV - No sign of my cancer

[StephN]

Hello everyone -

I also got good news today. So will add mine to the others posting of late.

It was January of 2002 that my diagnosis upped itself from stage II to IV. Thus I am looking back on a much longer trail of years than I ever thought possible on that dull January day when my med onc announced my elevated CA 27-29 levels and I told him about my side ache.

The only thing I need to work on is improving my DEXA scan scores and hope that taking more calcium will make a difference. Perhaps I will go back on one of the infused or injectable bone hardners by summer.

[IrvineFriend]

Thank you for posting this! All you women who still support those early in treatment is inspiring. Thank you!!

[suzan w]

That is great news Steph!!! I had good success with Forteo (injectable) for my severe osteoporosis. 18% gain in bone mass after 2 years. I saw Dr. Julie Carkin, Seattle Radiology. She was terrific!

[Saygoon]

Hooray for you!

[Bunty]

Way to go Steph! You are an inspiration.
Cheers Marie

[sassy]

Whoo Hooo Steph!

Lead on Mighty Warrior!

Thanks for being such a strong source of Hope and support for all.

[Paty]

I am so happy for you my dear friend and also for the great inspiration you are to all of us!

[michka]

Bravo! Bravo! I love this post Steph!

[LeahM]

I am so glad to log on and see all these good news postings. Continued good health to you. You are an inspiration.

[chekmark]

I never get tired of hearing such great news, I wish you many more years NED. Just fantastic news. Congrats.

[Becky]

Way to go Steph. You are an inspiration to all of us and one of my personal heroes on this board.

I had good luck with my bones with Zometa and getting my vitamin D in line to over 60. Seemed everything turned around after that.

Love and hugs

[caya]

Great news Steph! Keep those years coming!

all the best
caya

[roz123]

Amazing!!!!

[KDR]

I love you, Steph! You are The Champ! I want to do this! I will!



Yippee & Hugs,
Karen

[jaykay]

Echoing everyone else! Great news

[Hopeful]

Well done, Steph! Best of luck for many, many more years NED.

Hopeful

['lizbeth]

Happy for you! Wishing you continued NED and many many years of joyful living.

[Mel3]

Wonderful, inspiring news, Steph!

[Mtngrl]

Steph,

Thank you so much for posting this, and for your continued care and support. Your presence is truly a blessing.

[tricia keegan]

Wow thats wonderful news Steph and I'm so glad to share in your happy news!!:)

I have a once yearly iv of Zometa for twenty minutes which has turned my osteopenia around thankfully!

[KristinSchwick]

Thanks for always keeping us informed and providing us with much needed hope!

[RobinP]

Yipee, Steph, you're encouraging!

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Love your happy news, Steph! Love you too... So proud of you.

ANDI

[JillaryJill]

Steph..you are a rockstar!!! So happy for you!

[Carol13]

Thank you for this post! So happy for you and it gives me hope for my mom who is 6 months out of treatment and on Herceptin and hormones.

[CarolineC]

Thank you so much for your hope and inspiration, Steph!

Love,

Caroline

[Carol Ann]

Wonderful News Steph! You are amazing and such an inspiration for all of us! Thank you!!

Carol Ann

[SusanN]

Truly wonderful to hear...Huge blessings to you!! :)

[Laurel]

Cool Beans, Steph! It is always so good to hear happy news like yours. Raising my glass and toasting you with: Here's to the next 12!

[CoolBreeze]

You are who I want to be when I grow up. I have liver mets too. After half my liver removed, they grew back. After 7 chemos, they kept growing. It took the combination of perjeta and gamma knife to do it, but now I am stable, with cancer seen but no activity. I've been off chemo since last summer. On perjeta and herceptin only. I feel fantastic.

I would love for this to go on for 12 years or more. You make me know that it is possible. I'm starting to live like a "normal" person again, not talking about cancer all the time, feeling like I have a future.....but I always felt that was temporary. You give me hope. Maybe we are outliers but what a beautiful place to be!

Congratulations!

[kstrahm]

I was glad to log on and see your great news Steph!! Congratulations!! You are an inspiration and help to give me hope!
Hugs,
Kelly S. (Kansas)

[BonnieR]

XOXO!!!
You are " keep the faith" in action!

[Shobha]

Congratulations! The best kinda news we all love to read. Wishing you continued NED status for decades to come.

hugs,
shobha

[Lisalou]

AWESOME! You go Girl!

[Joanne S]

Sooo happy for you Steph! Congrats and best wishes for continued wellness always!
Hugs & prayers,
Joanne

[Catherine]

Yeah Steph! So happy for the good news.

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi StephN,

Looking forward to many more, and I'm with you as a stage I NED.

I've always wished that a trial would be designed around those who have been in remission for very long times, to find out what our characteristics are, to use to tease out histories and physical aspects that could be helpful to others. Any chance any oncs/researchers might be willing to take that challenge on?

A.A.

[StephN]

Thanks, everyone. I wish for you all to have the same long results I have had. It has not always been a easy road and "something" seems to come up every couple of years as a health concern that I have to deal with. (Ha! The downside of fighting to stay alive...)

A.A. - I have heard talk of a survey of stage IV types who have been able to stay stable/NED for years either staying on Herceptin or going off of it. But, nothing concrete. I would hope some entity would get around to it!

[Jean]

Steph,
How wonderful, so thrilled to read your post of 12 years.
You are my Hero.
Continued Blessings.
jean

[Ceesun]

Steph, Let me chime in to say how happy I am to read this wonderful news! I always look to your posts for guidance and inspiration...thank you for that as well! Ceesun

[mamacze]

StephN - I am kickin’ up my heels with joy for you and 12 years/Stage IV NED!! I think you are the Stage IV NED leader on this board - and I am delighted to be nipping at your heels with my 10 year NED anniversary fast approaching in May. May I ALWAYS be in your dust!! God speed to you old friend.
Kim (from CT)

[Jackie07]

Congratulations!

[Kkmom]

Thank you, Stephanie for posting your status. These are nuggets of hope and inspiration for all of us. Congratulations

[KsGal]

God bless you Steph. Thank you for continuing to be here for all of us, and to inspire us and give us strength to continue on down the path.

[Coux92]

Hugh Congratulations and I too thank you for sharing such inspiration for us all.Celebrate!��

[rava]

Thank you for giving us all hope 💜💜💜

[linn65]

Awesome, inspiring, hopeful, courage, strength, amazing, caring and loving! I have the utmost respect with advice, thoughts and encouragement you continually give on this forum. Thank you. ;)

[StephN]

I can add that I am still "NED in my head" - to borrow a phrase from Flori!

Now I am on a once yearly brain scan. Hooray! I am fine with paying the co-pay for the peace of mind. Brain mets ARE a scary thing to be told you have.

[StephN]

Shout out to Mamacze!

Don't forget AndiBB, who is a little ahead of me in the NED department. Would have to look at her signature, but she is longer.

You keep chasing us!

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Yes Steph is right again!

Hi my Sisters!

Been NED/STABLE since 1999...!!!

Check my signature.

Taxotere in '98 when 4th stage spread throughout my liver. Added Herceptin (newly available in 1998 -- lucky me!) after 2 mnths.

9 mnths of Taxoterror and couldn't take it anymore. I think I was getting a larger, more frequent dosage than they now recommend.

Stayed on Vitamin H for -- 10 yrs.

Been off H for nearly 6 yrs.

Supplements galore every day twice a day. Not easy but to me as essential as my blood pressure meds!!!

I meditate daily. Use guided imagery. I see myself far into the future........... I talk to my body!! And to the Universe all the time.

We just got my granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah date --
JANUARY 6, 2018... A new goal! I totally plan on being there! Radiant and surrounded by family!

I live each day filled with love and joy, compassion and humble gratitude for my many blessings! I look up and say THANK YOU every single day from the bottom of my heart, with every fiber of my being...!

Stay fixated on your desired goal. It already exists. Call it to you. That's your job.

Delay is not denial.

You're in a process, as I see it. You KNOW the outcome. See it in vivid detail.

I wish you all dreams come true!!!!!!!!!!

With much love, as always,

Andi

[waterdreamer]

I am so happy for you, what wonderful news!! Go warrior woman, and thanks for sharing with us.

[Bunty]

So good to hear from you Andi again, as you bring such hope and joy and wisdom to this forum.
love Marie x

[sarah]

Hi Stephanie,
wonderful, inspiring news! hope this means a visit to la belle france is coming up, keep me posted
love sarah

[StephN]

Sarah -
Je pense pas cette annee!

I have had my mother with us since early November and she will begin getting resettled in her home across the state in a month or so. Starting the process of finding a good live-in caregiver for her. I have been busy, busy, busy!

Barring the unforeseen, 2015 looks like a good possibility for a drive through France. Would love to slow down the pace and see some fresh countryside!

[Audrey]

So happy to see you're still here sharing your story of hope and inspiration--I wish you many more years of "dancing with NED"!

[Mary Jo]

Hi Steph.....it's been awhile but thankfully I when I returned here I saw your positive post. Yeah Steph! I am soon coming up on my 9 years since diagnosis (June) and in all honesty it hardly feels like it ever happened to me. Life goes on.....God is good and I STILL never take a day for granted. I live life to the fullest (or try to) and find that I am happiest when I can encourage someone or help them.

Sweet blessings to you, Steph! I rejoice with you in your awesome news.

Mary Jo

[FLfrost]

This is great news Steph. I have discovered so much strength, courage and hope in these posts.I'm a newcomer and a newbie to chemo. Tomorrow begins my journey in neoadjuvant chemotherapy with Herceptin Perjeta taxotere and carboplatin. I am ready for battle and the field reports look good, Cancer I am declaring WAR!