This message board and Early Stagers

This message board has become my primary source of information, next to my oncologist, of course. Had it not been for the information here, I would not have known to ask, and push for Herceptin back in May. I am very grateful. At the same time, it has been my biggest provider of sleepless nights. It is here that as a stage 1 I seem to keep reading the stories of others like me who suddenly became stage 4, and I become so frightened. I have done everything possible to prevent recurrence - chemo, Herceptin, double masectomy, ovaries out, Arimidex. And then I read stories of others of you who have done all of that too and still became stage 4. Or the article about Snail posted below from Sept. 19 stating that it is such a huge factor, and I've never even heard of it until now! Is it the "S" factor I have read of before?

Any encouragement out there? Does this really happen so often?
I am afraid. Thank you!