[caroline96]

Hello everyone. I have been viewing this site for quite a while now but have yet no courage to chime in. I did post a reply once, but that's about it. I have been stage IV since Dec 2010 with mets to left lung, lymph nodes, and bones. I was first diagnosed stage I back in 5/03, NED for 7 years then it came back on annual chest X-ray. Mammograms came back clear, always had been! Strange, huh? My old onc only gave me Xeloda and didn't want to listen to me to retest the receptor status. I left him and went to MD Anderson. After retesting, I was confirmed HER2+ and officially triple positive since then. I am stable now and on Herceptin, Femara, Faslodex, and Zometa.

When I was diagnosed the second time, I was crushed, I couldn't eat, get up, and do my daily stuff. I stumbled upon this site while looking for survivor stories and this group gave me hope. You all have positive way of dealing with this disease and it's contagious! I slowly began to smile again and stand up to what life has dealt me. It's been 17 months now.

Thank you all for such encouraging stories.

Maria