Progress

marj
marj Member Posts: 5
edited March 2015 in General discussion

Hi everyone - I was diagnosed way back in July 2014 - 2 ops later and 5 weeks of daily radiation therapy since then.   Still have lots of numbness in top of the arm area and down side of breast - I wonder how long this will last.  Now on hormone therapy - advised that my prognosis is excellent for which i am extremely grateful.   At what point can I say I am a cancer survivor?  This is my aim - to be able to say that with confidence.

 

Comments

  • Cook65
    Cook65 Member Posts: 733 ✭
    edited March 2015
    Hi Marg

    I was diagnosed in April 2014. I was a cancer survivor the minute I came out of theatre! I had to have 5 months chemo, 33 radiation treatments and have 4 more months of herceptin to go (just in case some had escaped and to try to stop it coming back) but as far am I am concerned, I'm cancer free!

    I don't know if this is true or not, only time will tell but this is the way I choose to look at it. I think we will always have a nagging doubt hanging over our heads, it's so hard not to. I think we are all left with our reminders, scars, both physical and psychological, that will be forever with us. I have no control over the future, what will be will be but I will make the most of each and every day I have, of feeling well, of being loved and loving back. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of it coming back but I use that as my motivation to make the most of now.

    Good luck with it all and I hope that you are able to reach your goal. Take care. Karen xox
  • Cook65
    Cook65 Member Posts: 733 ✭
    edited March 2015
    Hi Marg

    I was diagnosed in April 2014. I was a cancer survivor the minute I came out of theatre! I had to have 5 months chemo, 33 radiation treatments and have 4 more months of herceptin to go (just in case some had escaped and to try to stop it coming back) but as far am I am concerned, I'm cancer free!

    I don't know if this is true or not, only time will tell but this is the way I choose to look at it. I think we will always have a nagging doubt hanging over our heads, it's so hard not to. I think we are all left with our reminders, scars, both physical and psychological, that will be forever with us. I have no control over the future, what will be will be but I will make the most of each and every day I have, of feeling well, of being loved and loving back. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of it coming back but I use that as my motivation to make the most of now.

    Good luck with it all and I hope that you are able to reach your goal. Take care. Karen xox
  • Hazel M
    Hazel M Member Posts: 708 ✭
    edited March 2015

    Glad to hear you are going ok. I don't know when we can officially say we are survivors but I tend to think every day that I'm a survivor. I can remember asking my oncologist quite naïvely, how do we know the chemo worked? She answered we would get an indication in 5 years. All the best,

    Hazel xx

  • marj
    marj Member Posts: 5
    edited March 2015

    Karen, you are right - we are survivors - not waiting for the 5 year bit, going to buy one of those gorgeous survivor pins now!  Thankyou for your lovely feedback and sharing.

    Wishing you well, Kaye

     

     

     

     

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