HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - To those who have survived 6 or more years at stage IV

StephN · 08-30-2006, 12:27 PM

I have been watching Jane's progress since Christine UK posted the link. (Thanks, BTW.)
I don't happen to watch the TODAY show or read magazines such as Glamour which had bits on Jane's ride.

Anyway, it has been bugging me the way they are presenting Jane as a DYING person doing this ride. Like it is the last thing she will ever do. (I did post on Jane's site and tell them I thought their PR angle was wrong.)

To my mind she is a SURVIVOR doing an amazing feat - just as Lance Armstrong is a SURVIVOR. Maybe the difference is that his cancer is in remission and her is not, but she does get Herceptin and I am sure she can live longer.
People forget that Lance is NOT CURED, his cancer could come back any time, and we here are keenly aware of that. He IS stage IV, too.

Anyway, just my humble opinion as a cancer SURVIVOR of 6 years and 5 at stage IV.

GO JANE - and live to bicycle the length of Britain or whatever you like.

08-30-2006, 12:27 PM	#6
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	My 2 cents worth I have been watching Jane's progress since Christine UK posted the link. (Thanks, BTW.) I don't happen to watch the TODAY show or read magazines such as Glamour which had bits on Jane's ride. Anyway, it has been bugging me the way they are presenting Jane as a DYING person doing this ride. Like it is the last thing she will ever do. (I did post on Jane's site and tell them I thought their PR angle was wrong.) To my mind she is a SURVIVOR doing an amazing feat - just as Lance Armstrong is a SURVIVOR. Maybe the difference is that his cancer is in remission and her is not, but she does get Herceptin and I am sure she can live longer. People forget that Lance is NOT CURED, his cancer could come back any time, and we here are keenly aware of that. He IS stage IV, too. Anyway, just my humble opinion as a cancer SURVIVOR of 6 years and 5 at stage IV. GO JANE - and live to bicycle the length of Britain or whatever you like. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018. Last edited by StephN; 08-31-2006 at 01:17 PM..