← Return to “5 year survival” starts at diagnosis or when therapy ends?

Discussion
Comment receiving replies
@mdr3

HA! I was just coming on here to provide some measurement of encouragement to those on the journey, and I found mossa's post. It is 5 years ago today I got "that call" I was in a church meeting for my work, took the call and literally got sick. My diagnostics were complicated: every time I went for more imaging they found more things. I had a great group of nurses at the time, and they indulged my sense of humor over everything. It was the only way I could cope. That, and the watchcare of my daughter who, by chance, had moved home shortly before. Immediately she put me on an all organic, plant based diet, so we felt like we were attacking the beast from the get go, even before any medical treatment began. I ended up with Stage IIIC (5 tumors, 10/16 nodes diseased) necessitating a mastectomy and of course multiple node removal. I recently read that when statisticians came up with that 5 year mark, they were considering how many people were still alive 5 years after their date of diagnosis. Clinicians, however, look at it differently. My radiation oncologist (which was my last leg of treatment) starts counting from the last day of treatment, which for me was not Feb. 13, but Oct. 17 (2019).
I had ILC HR pos/Her2 neg. On Tamoxifen 2 years, and now AI (will be for at least 8 years). Still working the same two jobs I did throughout diagnosis and treatment. Very fortunate. My best to anyone on this journey.

Jump to this post


Replies to "HA! I was just coming on here to provide some measurement of encouragement to those on..."

@mdr3 I love your positivity! My oncologist said I will be on AI for 10 years (8 1/2 to go!) so instead of dreading taking it for that long I will look forward to every pill!

Keep going another 50 years
Keep praying and giving thanks
To a great and mighty God!
You a great!
M