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10-03-2009, 07:54 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 94
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5-year cancerversary
Hi all, I know I don't post much these days, but I do read and keep up with you all on a regular basis.
Tomorrow marks my 5-year anniversary of hearing those words "you have cancer". At stage 3a, er/pr -, her2+++, I never in a million years thought I'd be here today typing this. It can be done!
I now work FOR my oncologist, and run a very successful support group for patients. Monday I start phlebotomy classes. Last night my doc/boss threw a huge party for me at his house.
All I can say is, if I had to do it over? I wouldn't change a single thing. My life is SOOOOO much more fullfilling now. I hug more, laugh more, tell the people that are important to me how much I love them. I have a great job, I love being able to give newly diagnosed patients that tiny glimmer of hope.
Whether I have five more years or fifty five, I will make the very best of every one.
Hugs to everyone here.
Jenny
__________________
Jen
DX 10/04 IDC Grade 3
ER/PR-, Her2+++
4/20+ Lymph nodes
Stage 3a
Age 38, CA
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10-03-2009, 09:09 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern, CA
Posts: 2,511
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Hi Jenny, Let me just say BIG CONGRATULATIONS to you on being 5 years out and NED. That's fantastic! I hope you did something special to celebrate it. News like yours is great for the newly dx that come here...it means so much to them to see posts like yours...I'm so glad you shared your big milestone with us. Sounds like your doing wonderful in all area's of your life. Again, congrats!
Chelee
__________________
DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
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10-04-2009, 11:44 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Naples FL
Posts: 1,744
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
That is great news Jen...way to go!!! XO Suzan
__________________
Suzan W.
age 54 at diagnosis
5/05 suspicious mammogram-left breast
5/05 biopsy-invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS,8mm tumor,stage 1 grade 2, ER+ PR+ Her2+++
6/14/05 bilateral mastectomy, node neg. all scans neg.
Oncotype DX-high risk
8/05-10/05 4 rounds A/C
10/05 -10/06 1 yr. herceptin
arimidex-5 years
2/14/08 started daily self administered injections..FORTEO for severe osteoporosis
7/28/09 BRCA 1 negative BRCA2 POSITIVE
8/17/09 prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy
10/15/10 last FORTEOinjection
RECLAST infusion(ostoeporosis)
6/14/10 5 year cancerversary!
8/2010-18%increase in bone density!
no further treatments
Oncologist says, "Go do the Happy Dance"
I say,"What a long strange trip its been"
'One day at a time'
6-14-2015. 10 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!
7-16 to 9-16. Extensive (and expensive) dental work done to save teeth. Damage from osteoporosis and chemo and long term bisphosphonate use
6-14-16. 11 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
7-20-16 Prolia injection for severe osteoporosis
2 days later, massive hive outbreak. This led to an eventual dx of Chronic Ideopathic Urticaria, an auto-immune disease from HELL.
6-14-17 12 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!!
still suffering from CIU. 4 hospitilizations in the past year
as of today, 10-31-17 in remission from CIU and still, CANCER FREE!!!
6-14-18 13 YEAR CANCERVERSARY!! NED!!
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10-04-2009, 11:45 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 103
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Jen,
My best wishes to you! Having also been diagnosed IIIa, I am still living in constant fear of recurrance. My oncologist keeps telling me that I had such a good result, I have very good chances. But, it's most convincing to hear from a living example.
Go out and paint the town PINK and keep doing your good works.
All the best for continuing healthy days!
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10-04-2009, 01:33 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Haarlem, the Netherlands
Posts: 835
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
That's just wonderful! You must be so happy. I'm doing my happy Dutch Clogdance, just for you tonight.
Love
Jacqueline
__________________
Diagnosed age 44, January 2004, 0.7 cm IDC & DCIS. Stage 1, grade 3, ER/PR pos. HER2 pos. clear margins, no nodes. SNB. 35 rads. On Zoladex and Armidex since Dec. 2004. Stopped Zoladex/Arimidex sept 2009 Still taking mistletoe shots (CAM therapy) Doing fine.
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10-04-2009, 04:27 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
What an uplifting post!
Glad you are here to share with everyone.
Keep up the good work!
__________________
Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14YEARS NED!
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10-04-2009, 04:30 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Thornhill, Ontario
Canada
Posts: 2,320
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Big congrats to you Jen!!
all the best
caya
__________________
ER90%+/PR 50%+/HER 2+
1.7 cm and 1.0 cm.
Stage 1, grade 2, Node Negative (16 nodes tested)
MRM Dec.18/06
3 x FEC, 3 x Taxotere
Herceptin - every 3 weeks for a year, finished May 8/08
Tamoxifen - 2 1/2 years
Femara - Jan. 1, 2010 - July 18, 2012
BRCA1/BRCA2 Negative
Dignosed 10/16/06, age 48 , premenopausal
Mild lymphedema diagnosed June 2009 - breast surgeon and lymph. therapist think it's completely reversible - hope so.
Reclast infusion January 2012
Oopherectomy October 2013
15 Years NED!!
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10-04-2009, 05:28 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Hershey, PA. Live The Sweet Life!
Posts: 2,005
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Thank you for sharing your inspiring milestone! It lifts all our spirits. I agree about enjoying life more since cancer. Wishing you decades of NED!!
__________________
Smile On!
Laurel
Dx'd w/multifocal DCIS/IDS 3/08
7mm invasive component
Partial mast. 5/08
Stage 1b, ER 80%, PR 90%, HER-2 6.9 on FISH
0/5 nodes
4 AC, 4 TH finished 9/08
Herceptin every 3 weeks. Finished 7/09
Tamoxifen 10/08. Switched to Femara 8/09
Bilat SPM w/reconstruction 10/08
Clinical Trial w/Clondronate 12/08
Stopped Clondronate--too hard on my gizzard!
Switched back to Tamoxifen due to tendon pain from Femara
15 Years NED
I think I just might hang around awhile....
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10-04-2009, 06:49 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 105
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you so much for sharing your milestone. It gives so many of us hope! Here's to another 50 years!
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10-04-2009, 07:56 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Watkinsville, Georgia
Posts: 356
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Congratulations!!!
Hugs ~ Ruth
__________________
[/SIGPIC]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diagnosed 6/03 nursing daughter
Dose dense A/C 4x
Modified rad mast 8/03
IDC; 3 cm; 10+/16 nodes; ER/PR-; Her2+++
Weekly taxol w/Herceptin (off label) 12x's
40 weeks Herceptin
Radiation 33x
Reconstruction w/ implants 05 & 07
NED
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10-04-2009, 08:10 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 343
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Yippee! So glad to see a post to give me hope. I just had a mastectomy and getting ready to start chemo in a week.
Age 46
Stage II, HER+, ER/PR-
17 lymph nodes, no cancer present
completed clinical trial, 3months weekly Herceptin and 1000 mg Tykerb daily. Tumor shrunk from 8cm to nothing and no cancer present at time of mastectomy!
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10-04-2009, 08:12 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 94
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Thank you all for the support - this truly is THE best support group on the web! Here's to many more years for all of us
Jen
__________________
Jen
DX 10/04 IDC Grade 3
ER/PR-, Her2+++
4/20+ Lymph nodes
Stage 3a
Age 38, CA
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10-04-2009, 08:32 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Northern Calif.
Posts: 981
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Yay!!! Congratulations on your big 5 year milestone!! I am so happy that you are well and wish you many healthy years ahead!!
Lexi
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10-04-2009, 08:50 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 3,142
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Congratulations !! Keep going !!
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10-05-2009, 05:05 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,851
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Congratulations!
Joan
__________________
Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2023 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!
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10-05-2009, 11:08 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,486
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Thanks for the encouraging news.
Amelia
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10-05-2009, 11:29 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 216
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Congratulations.
Very Encouraging.
I felt so happy for you. Intend to join you in surviving and being well for 5 years at the beginning of 2010.
Janie
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10-05-2009, 04:48 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Morris, IL
Posts: 3,507
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Jen
Congrats on 5 years...what an inspiration you are, and must be to all the people you work with! Your oncologist is so lucky to have you on the team.....your post made my day...so uplifting!!!!
__________________
"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
Hugs & Blessings
Sheila
Diagnosed at age 49.99999 2/21/2002 via Mammography (Calcifications)
Core Biopsy 2/22/02
L. Mastectomy 2/25/2002
Stage 1, 0.7cm IDC, Node Neg from 19 nodes Her2+++ ER PR Neg
6/2003 Reconstruction W/ Tissue Expander, Silicone Implant
9/2003 Stage IV with Mets to Supraclavicular nodes
9/2003 Began Herceptin every 3 weeks
3/2006 Xeloda 2500mg/Herceptin for recurrence to neck nodes
3/2007 Added back the Xeloda with Herceptin for continued mets to nodes
5/2007 Taken Off Xeloda, no longer working
6/14/07 Taxol/Herceptin/Avastin
3/26 - 5/28/08 Taxol Holiday Whopeeeeeeeee
5/29 2008 Back on Taxol w Herceptin q 2 weeks
4/2009 Progression on Taxol & Paralyzed L Vocal Cord from Nodes Pressing on Nerve
5/2009 Begin Rx with Navelbine/Herceptin
11/09 Progression on Navelbine
Fought for and started Tykerb/Herceptin...nodes are melting!!!!!
2/2010 Back to Avastin/Herceptin
5/2010 Switched to Metronomic Chemo with Herceptin...Cytoxan and Methotrexate
Pericardial Window Surgery to Drain Pericardial Effusion
7/2010 Back to walking a mile a day...YEAH!!!!
9/2010 Nodes are back with a vengence in neck
Qualified for TDM-1 EAP
10/6/10 Begin my miracle drug, TDM-1
Mixed response, shrinking internal nodes, progression skin mets after 3 treatments
12/6/10 Started Halaven (Eribulen) /Herceptin excellent results in 2 treatments
2/2011 I CELEBRATE my 9 YEAR MARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7/5/11 begin Gemzar /Herceptin for node progression
2/8/2012 Gemzar stopped, Continue Herceptin
2/20/2012 Begin Tomo Radiation to Neck Nodes
2/21/2012 I CELEBRATE 10 YEARS
5/12/2012 BeganTaxotere/ Herceptin is my next miracle for new node progression
6/28/12 Stopped Taxotere due to pregression, Started Perjeta/Herceptin
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10-05-2009, 05:31 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 212
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Congratulations, Jen! I love your happy post --you go, girl!
__________________
Audrey
diagnosed July 2001, at age 36
large tumor, 11+ nodes
Stage IIIb, er/pr-, Her2+
treated with A/C, weekly Taxol
radiation, + year of Herceptin
on clinical trial. double mastectomy
followed by reconstruction
NED!!
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10-05-2009, 05:45 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
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Re: 5-year cancerversary
Congratulations Jenny!!!! and many, many more... I LOVE reading these posts
__________________
Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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