Do you personally know any cancer survivors?

[coolshannie]

There was a wonderful woman I had grown very close too. I was a student aide for her for three years and I loved her so much. Truthfully throughout my time there she was so much of a grandmother figure then a woman I was supposed to be filing papers for. She had been a survivor of breast cancer for several years when I had first started as her student aide my freshmen year. She was such a strong woman, I've never seen someone with strength like hers. Anything I wanted to do with my goals and dreams she told me without a doubt that I could do it, that she knew I'd get there because I was determined. In the last year that I was her aide she was going in for her check up. It turned out she had cancer again and it was spreading. She was such a wonderful woman and there isn't a day that I don't miss her. I wish so badly she could have seen me graduate this last June. Everybody misses her; she was so loved by so many. I wish so much that doctors could find a cure to cancer, a better preventative, anything, I know that everything happens for a reason and she is some place better, but I feel as though she still had so much to live for in life.

So to answer your question, No I don't believe I know anybody as of now who is a survivor. I truly wish I did.

 

[NMAmy]

My sister had Hodgkin's when she was 17. She'll be 43 next week. And thanks for the reminder, I'd forgotten to get her a birthday card.

 

[barkley]

my step neice.

in her early 20's and in the first trimester of pregnancy when she found a lump in her breast. testing showed it was malignant. she weighed her options and opted to go for a full double mastectomy. when they got in they realized all the nodes needed to go as well.

it was a TOUGH haul-she had to do chemo and radiation but they had to take major precautions because of the baby. i'll never forget the sight of her totaly bald at her baby shower

the 'baby' is 6 now and while he has some medical issues due to the exposure to the meds overall he's fine. neice is EXTREEMLY vigilant about keeping her appointments and watching her body for any kind of changes.

so far-so very good

 

[Lucky4me]

I have a close friend who is ten years out of breast cancer. I know a few other people, ex coworkers and friends of my husband who are cured too.

Last year my dh was diagnosed with brain cancer. If left untreated, he only had a few months to live. We jumped right into a risky experimental treatment only a handful of others had done and none were alive to talk to us about it. But we forged ahead anyway, because although it was lousy odds, it was his best bet. The standard treatment likely would have left him with brain damage, potentially in an Alzheimers like condition. We both said no way. What's the point of not having a brain tumor, if your brain is gone?

He went through six months of high dose chemo and had a stem cell transplant in December. He's been cancer free actually since last November. So ten months in remission, even though they won't say he's cured until five years have passed.

He's back to work, although not working the same job as before due to some minor cognitive problems. He's golfing almost every day, we're traveling, boating, spending quality time with friends and family and loving life! The problems he is dealing with, neuropathy in his hands and feet and the cognitive stuff is nothing compared to what would have happened with an untreated brain tumor.

As cancer research and treatments are getting better, more people are surviving cancer. Survivorship is a very important topic to me. When you're first diagnosed, you don't think about after treatment, you're just trying to get through each day. Once you're done and the cancer is gone, it's like, okay, what now? Your life has been changed forever. It's a scary, wonderful time and it's now my mission to help my husband and other survivors, thrive.
I believe the survivor list will just keep getting longer until the day there is a vaccination or cure for all cancers and I do believe that day is getting close.
to any patient or caregiver right now in or just out of treatment. It does and it will get better!

 

[DVC-Don]

Myself - melanoma. My wife - Uterine

 

[katiebelle21]

My husband is a 2x cancer survivor. We'll be celebrating his five-year mark (for the second time) on December 10th!

 

[bigbabyblues]

Yes, my SIL. She & my BIL had a very unplanned pregnancy, and when she went for her first checkup, she had her first pap in several years. They found abnormal cells. After she delivered her baby, they did further testing and found that she had ovarian cancer. She had no clue, no symptoms. She had a hysterectomy and took chemo for a few months, and she is now, thankfully, cancer free.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Yes, many. Most immediately, my wife, Marie, 11 year survivor of Stage III breast cancer.

 

[tazdev3225]

My great aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1962 or 63. She had a mastectomy and I am guessing was given little hope. She died in 1987 beating all odds, a heart attack took her life.
My DSIL had breast cancer and is doing great. Smoking and HRT were blamed.
My DBIL has Hodgkins but is in remission.
A friend from church is a breast cancer survivor.
Sadly a cousin died from Hodgkins, and a little boy at church died from a rare form of cancer. He was a fighter and never gave up hope until they day he died at the age of 9. He was an inspiration to all who knew him.
I had a really weird freckle that turned out to be an atypical mole. The biopsy showed no cancer but when it was removed they found it was just starting to mutate to cancer. I am so glad that I went to the dr. when I did because I noticed the change. I tell everyone to do a self check it can make difference.

 

[DebbieB]

I have 2 coworkers who had breast cancer. Both were discovered early by mammogram and both are fine. The one is probably close to 10 years, the other about 2.

Sadly, my dad died of lung cancer and my mom died of breast cancer.

 

[Pakey]

2 years for me, advanced stage breast cancer.

 

[sydneysmom]

my wonderful father is a colon cancer survivor and a prstrate cancer survivor. watching what he went through is nothing short of a miracle that he's with us. he's truly my hero!!! I think he's the bravest man I know. and for someone that cannot get a cold without the Earth shattering, he NEVER once complained while going through chemo. it shows you what alot of love and prayers can do !!!

 

[bushdianee]

Me also! I was diagnosed 30 years ago next month with ovarian cancer at the young age of 21. Halloween day will mark 30 years of being cancer free as that is the date I had my hysterectomy. I had a 5 lb. tumor on EACH ovary. I was lucky in that they caught it just before it started spreading so all I had was surgery, no chemo or radiation.
My DNiece found a lump on her neck on her wedding day that ended up being thyroid cancer. She is doing great now, 4 years later.
MY DSis was also diagnosed with ovarian cancer 3 1/2 years ago at the age of 43. Again she only had to have a hysterectomy and is now fine.
We had genetic testing done since we have 2 more sisters and several nieces but both of us tested negative for the BRAC 1 & 1 mutation, shocking the specialist.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Yes

Me - diagnosed with colon cancer in 1995 (37 years old at the time)
My DS -Diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma (Childhood bone cancer) in l987 (3 years old at the time)
My DM - Diagnosed with uterine cancer in l962 (34 years old at the time)

Unfortunately we also lost my brother - diagnosed with colon cancer in l989 (died at age 45, 5 months after initial diagnosis)

My Dad - diagnosed with esphogeal cancer in l991 (died at age 67, 3 months after diagnosis).

 

[dis-happy]

OP (or anyone who may be interested), here are my tips for survival....

a. put on your fighting suit! This IS a battle, you will have to muster your strength: physically, mentally and emotionally

b. get as informed as you can get; bring paper and pen to meetings with doctors and take notes (or have a partner that takes notes for you)

c. find the best doctor you can..ask around about who is recommended as the best for your particular kind of cancer; go to the best hospital you can for surgery

d.ask for a copy of every single test result, path report, blood work...EVERYTHING!!! And read it! Doctors miss stuff, or edit what they tell you. You need to be as informed as possible about what is happening with you. Be your own advocate, keeping in mind that no one cares as much about you as you do.

e. don't be afraid to get a second opinion. No one doctor specializes in exactly what you have. There are always new protocols and studies coming out. Research and find out if anything pertains to your case, copy them and ask your doctor.

f. I also tried to keep a good attitude about things, enjoy the small moments, tried to be thankful, and prayed! When it's all said and done you will have the distinction of being a person who really knows and understands what is and what isn't important in this world.

 

[Kitty 34]

My mom......a 15 year survivor of breast cancer.


My BIL is on Round 3 of chemo for lymphoma. He's been battling this since 2001. He's been doing well even tho this is an uncurable cancer.

 

[chirurgeon]

Me. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer at age 47. My mom kept saying why. I just said why not. I just told myself it was just a bump in the road. I wasn't going to let it take me off the road I was traveling. I cried, we all do. But my initial tears were over the trip to Disney I was going to miss. I was lucky enough to have one of the best surgeons in the country in the colo-rectal cancer field. And he was really cute too. 1 month of chemo and radiation, surgery after 1 month off and 6 months of bi-weekly chemo. The surgery removed all the cancer but the post surgical chemo was just in case. My oncologist said the tumor was stupid and hadn't spread to my lymph nodes. Here's to stupid tumors. I have been cancer free for 3 1/2 years now. Now when I go for my check ups with him we talk about our respective trips to Disney. He is a converted Disney Geek.

Like a PP said. Fight. And I like to say I am a cancer victor.

Kim

 

[koolaidmoms]

I actually know of several.

One of my best friends has survived ovarian cancer - twice. Just coming up to her fifth year anniversary.

My grandmother had stomach, intestinal and uterine cancer in 1977. They removed everything she did not possibly need to live. She lived another 25 years to the age of 90.

Another friend has had breast and uterine cancer. She has been cancer free for 9 years.

 

[lemondog]

Yes! I know 2 women in their mid 30s who survived childhood leukemia. One was 6 when she got it, the other was 10. It can be done!!!

One of them lost ovarian function due to the chemo she had as a child, so she has two (yes 2) sets of twins via donor egg!

 

[PaulaSue]

My Mom 22 plus years BC, my aunt 17 plus years BC and my GM also around 17 years BC