12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Bringing my happy dance to this forum of old friends and pals - and God willing a small bucket of hope to the newly diagnosed. I remember well the sky high anxiety that I felt when I first heard those dreaded words - metastatic cancer - and how I clung to the stories from others who made it past the 5 year mark with mets. Today I am feeling so grateful for the calm counsel and sage advice I got from StephN, Al from Canada, Lolly, Christine and Joe, lani, Becky, Karen, Kim in CA, Ellie F, Pam - old timers for sure - and of course many others. I have no doubt that our Her2 Angels who have passed before us are storming the heavens on our behalf and that the cancer moonshot will work for us and our daughters.
Happy birthday to me and God speed to you old friends!
Kim (from CT)

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Happy birthday!

A very encouraging story, indeed. Here's to many, many more birthdays.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Congratulations and thank you for this update!!!!!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Happy Birthday and YAY for being one of the Stage 4 people to give hope to all of us!

Carol Ann

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

I am happy to read this good news Kim! I hope you were able to get the "booster.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

OOh I LOVE you for sharing with us today!!! Its so wonderful to hear of other HER2 sisters kicking this beast's ass! Happy Birthday!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Yahoo!! Happy Birthday!!!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Great news!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Huge congrats Kim and long may your good health continue!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Thank you for your well wishes, and Trisha Keegan, how nice to see your familiar "face". I hope you are well.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Well done, Kim! We're doing the happy dance with you.
Best wishes..... Pam

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Congratulations! Wonderful!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Dear Kim,
Here comes a great big Birthday {{{cyberhug!}}}. These birthdays get more precious with each passing year.

Nice to hear they could remove the troublesome lung area. Not always the case!

And when you are coming back to Seattle, give me a shout and we can reprise some good old vaccine trial days. Did not know they were scheduling boosters for your trial. Keep me posted, ok?

Kick up your heels and don't let your kids get ahead of you!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Hey old friend - StephN, {{{hugs}}} right back atcha! I am so happy to see you are still NED and your port is removed?!! Wow, Lucky you! Yes, my onc called the Tumor Vaccine Group folk in Seattle and sure enough they are going to do a booster. Not sure the exact date but when I hear I will let you know.
And Pam, whonoze, and all, thank you for your warm greetings!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Hey my dear friend. I am so happy all is going well for you. Happy birthday and a huge hug from me!!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Woo hoo Kim!! Beautifully written post. You've made my day.
Cheers Marie

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Dear Kim,

What fabulous news! You are always not far from my thoughts, and this news just makes me beam.

I wonder if I can reach NED again on the Kadcyla, if I too might get a booster. Guess I will get in touch with Drs. Disis and Salazar and see what they have to say.

In the meantime, I'm still enjoying life and trying to squeeze the most out of every day. Off to Dru Barner campground in the El Dorado Nat'l forest tomorrow with my trusty steed for a dose of nature!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Becky!! Kim from Ca! This is like old home week! I am so happy to see you are all doing well. And Marie thank you for your good wishes. Kim call the TVG - you just might get into a booster trial and it can't hurt to ask. The one I am entering is the second part of my original trial from 2005. Tell Doreen we have been chatting - it will make her laugh! In the meantime I know nature is your soul food and I think the National Forest is right where you need to be.
XO

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

i am so thrilled for you to read this post. many congratulations to you and best wishes for today and every day.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Hi Mamacze, just logged in and seen your post! Congratulations! Glad you got that pesky met removed from your lung and sooooo glad that herceptin is still working wonderfully well for you. May it continue forever!
Love and hugs
Ellie

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Wonderful news, Kim. So happy you are doing so well. And here is to another 12 years and another 12 years.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Happy Birthday Kim! Great post. Great share!! I'm trying to follow in your footsteps...old timers indeed :))
Xxoo Xxoo

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Dear Kim,

So great to hear from you. What wonderful news you have to share! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Kim,
Thank you so much for sharing this milestone. I collect these nuggets of hope and inspiration. Woohoo....big congratulations!!!

Pam

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Hey Ellie F - how nice to see your name pop up! I often think of you with a smile- how are you doing now?? XO

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Hi Mamacze / Kim,

happy, happy birthday! You inspire me - as you did when I was first diagnosed a bit over 2 years ago and completely off my rocker with fear.
I hope I can do what you're doing - so I can see my daughter grow up! If I survuved for 12 years, she'd be 18 - that sounds like an excellent plan!

Thanks so much for posting, I'm really, truly grateful!

Annette

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Hi Annette- and look at you "stable - stable - and Stable"! God willing you too will make it another 12 - and your beautiful daughter will hold you in her arms at her high school graduation. When I was diagnosed with mets 12 years ago my children were 11, 15,16 and 18. I remember railing in anger in my prayers "where is the justice?!". How could a divine provinence allow a 70 year old chain smoking junk food eater live and at the same time allow an otherwise healthy eating excercising mother of 4 die?? And now here I am 12 years later. It is my joy and privilege to hold you and your daughter in prayer. Set your sights high angel, how lucky your daughter is to have a mom who no doubt cherishes every single second that is spent together. Godspeed.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

I just logged in and saw your post!!! Congratulations...these posts make me soooooooooooooo happy!!! I am about to post my own...!!!!!xxoo

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

mamaze, congratulations on your mega milestone, so happy for you!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

So happy for you,my friend. Praise the Lord for whom all blessings flow.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

So happy for you!!!! You give me so much hope. I will be 2 years stage 4 in a few weeks with mets to lungs. Haven't reached NED yet, but stable on perjeta and Herceptin.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Valleygirl - Perjeta and Herceptin are showing promising results - take heart!
Godspeed to you and your family.
Kim (from CT)

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Wonderful to see your post Kim! So happy you are doing well and living life to the fullest! Congratulations!

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Happy (belated） Birthday!

Thank you so (very) much for sharing.

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Very inspirational news...........fabulousl

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Mamacrz,
Congratulations - Year 12, stage 4 and still kicking cancer in the butt. Your post is so good - Thank you - Pam

Re: 12 years Stage 4 - Still A-OK
 

Hello Mamacze,

As a new person to this forum, it makes me very happy to read that you are still okay after 12 years of cancer treatment. I was diagnosed with HER2 positive breast cancer in January, and had a full mastectomy in February along with 14 lymph nodes removed (eight has cancer in them). After surgery, we found out my tumor was 7 cm! I was in shock as I never even felt a lump! I stared Docetaxel, Carboplatin, and Herceptin in March, and 25 rounds of radiation at the end of July. I also started the drug Tamoxifen in mid-July. Everything was going well until a week before I was supposed to finish radiation. At that time, we noticed that the scab over my scar tissue had come off, and the doctor decided to biopsy the area. It turns out that there were still cancer cells there. I went back to see my surgeon, who told me the growth was left-over from my first surgery, and that he could remove it and all would be fine. In the meantime, my oncologist sent me for tests in order to “re-stage” me. The ultra-sound and bone scan were clear, and the breast MRI showed three small masses in my surgery site, but nothing in the lymph nodes. We were all happy with these results, and I was getting ready to have surgery until we got the results of my CT scan. It turns out that there are new spots on my lungs. One is 1.4 cm, which is not huge, however, there are dots on both my right and left lungs, and a lymph node in my centre chest that is quite large. This means that that cancer has spread! Given these new results, I will no longer be having surgery, and will be starting TDM1 tomorrow, which I will be taking every three weeks for an indefinite period of time. My oncologist is also going to try and get me into some clinical trials. She told me that I am a rarity, and that she’s never known anyone who has gone though the treatment I’ve gone through, and still have cancer. She says that my breast cancer is the most aggressive cancer she’s ever seen, which doesn’t make me feel confident. Based on the research I’ve done on TDM1, the drug looks promising, however, right now, my biggest fear is that my oncologist is going to tell me that I have 6 months to a year to live, even with the new medication, and that’s not what I want to hear at the age of 41! It’s nice to hear that someone else has gone through this and is still around after 12 years, and I am glad that I found this forum in order to read your posts. It’s helpful to know that there are other’s out who have gone through the same thing as me and have survived!