surviving and thriving after chemo and/or radiation for cancer? check in.

[ulysses]

29 years since diagnosis here. :hi:

[KitchenWitch]

1. 22 years here!

:hi:

[ulysses]

3. and glad of it!

:hi:

[Lars39]

2. Yip.

Had both, wouldn't be here without 'em. Coming up on 5 years post-treatment this coming December.

[KitchenWitch]

Awesome!

:hi:

[ulysses]

6. great news!

:D

[RoyGBiv]

4. Not me personally ...

But several people in my family are.

I have an aunt who would have been dead ten years ago without it, and she's probably in better health now than I am.

[ulysses]

9. yeah.

I wouldn't have made it out of fifth grade without both.

[LakeSamish706]

5. I think that allot has to do with how early the cancer is detected... My father...

was late to the game with Prostate and had both Chemo and radiation... But he didn't last more than six months following treatment.... If it's detected early enough, then you may very well be a survivor...

[ulysses]

7. sure.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad, and yeah, the stage of the thing counts for a lot, no matter the treatment.

[LakeSamish706]

11. I'm very happy for all that are doing well with cancer survival... Best of luck to all...

It can be beaten, with early detection and treatment....

[Stellabella]

16. Not necessarily.

My husband's had metastasized to a large mass in his abdomen, but even with that, his cure rate was 90%. Even if it had spread to the brain and lungs, cure rate was 80%.

Cancer is so complicated and so tricky. Some people diagnosed very early end up dying. It's just unpredictable. All they can do is tell you the odds.

[uppityperson]

8. They gave my mom 6 months without, she lasted 10 yrs after chemo

rip mom and thank you doctor, for giving us her for 10 more years

[ulysses]

10. :)

:thumbsup:

[DS1]

12. SOteric checks in via me

:hi:

[ulysses]

13. knew she was out there somewhere, Martin.

Tell her we said hi, and thanks. :)

[Stellabella]

14. My husband, 25 years ago this Christmas. A healthy 50-year-old today.

Chemo and radiation.

[ulysses]

15. better keep him in a bubble.

That shit destroys your immune system, y'know. ;)

[Stellabella]

17. Oh, he's had the flu and colds and strep throat.

No problems with his immune system at all. He had to stay home and avoid sick people while going through treatment, but not since then.

He's a teacher and gets exposed to all kinds of germs from the kids. Never one problem in 25 years.

[ulysses]

21. working in a large petri dish.

Yeah, I'm a teacher as well. :D

[Better Believe It]

18. What about a complete body cat-scan or just a lung cat-scan for early detection?

Are they helpful or not?

[ulysses]

19. that'd be for a doc to say, and I'm not one.

[moc]

33. I believe the conclusion regarding the screening benefits of those is negative.

Standard screening guidelines (e.g., paps every year for women, colonoscopy yearly after age 50) which may be modified for known risk factors (e.g., family history) are better than body scans.

[havocmom]

20. My sister is five year suvivor of two kinds of breast cancer and full regime treatment.

She is 65 and going strong! Doing palates, swimming, taking painting courses, painting with passion, and currently on vacation in Hawaii, probably snorkeling, zipping around in a zodiac, beach combing, doing some research on Hawaiian shamanic spirituality and history.

You survivors are an inspiration. Live long and enjoy every minute of it! :toast:

[ChazII]

22. My friend was diagnosed May 3rd with

stage 3 cancer. She has neurofibromatosis and has MPNST. She starts chemo and radiation next Wednesday. She is the 3rd friend I will have lost to NF tumors turning malignant.

[Greybnk48]

23. I've only needed surgery so far. Diagnosed 2 years ago in March

with endometrial adenocarcinoma. Had a total abdominal hysterectomy plus tubes and ovaries. I have follow up checks (paps) every three months for one more year. Then every six months for two years. I'm doing great--one lucky lady.

[taught_me_patience]

24. My sister beat osteosarcoma 2 years ago

with six rounds of chemo and major surgery. CAT scans are still clear and she's back healthy. I'm thankful for the advances in chemotherapy over the last 20 years. She'd be dead without it.

[Contrary1]

25. Going on 12 years for me...

*** On Edit: Our online breast cancer support group gained a new member yesterday...she will be 90 years old in November!

[emilyg]

26. 21 years.

[sinkingfeeling]

27. I will finish my 28th. radiation treatment this afternoon. Have 5 more to go. Being treated, after

surgery, for cancer of the tonsils.

[SidDithers]

28. My kids are happy to still have their mom, my wife ...

6 years cancer free in November.

Sid

[Tracer]

29. 4 1/2 Years and Counting.

Am in remission from ovarian cancer and hope to keep it that way!

I would like to say that news articles that constantly refer to chemotherapy as "painful" are not telling the whole story.

Yes, some people have more unpleasant side effects, and some do not (including myself).

Physicians have many ways to alleviate any nausea or discomfort, and they use them.

[Robyn66]

30. Me too

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last August, and I just finished chemo in March. Now I feel fantastic! I have to take hormone inhibitors for 5 years and I have a 90% chance of living disease free for the rest of my life. So I would say a few months of misery is well worth it!!!!
Robyn

[moc]

31. Just a quick point - if they didn't survive, they can hardly check in, can they?

As a disclaimer, I support chemo/radiation.

FWIW, my best friend was a 20 year survivor of a Hodgkins diagnosis (stage 3B). This was back in the 70s when they blasted the hell out of the cancer. Things are more modulated today.

After 20 years in remission, she was dx'd with an adenocarcinoma that was directly caused by the radiation she'd received as a teenager. She died 6 months later.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade those 20 years for anything. It was chemo/radiation that saved her life and gave her those 20 years. I miss her terribly.

[11 Bravo]

32. Diagnosed in July of '97, underwent a 6 week course of radiation ...

and am cancer-free almost 12 years later.

[BoneDaddy]

34. Kinda unfair seeing as the people who didn't survive it

cannot speak up. I will speak re: father and mother-in-law .

[ulysses]

36. let me be clear.

I honor those who fought cancer and died. Cancer still kills people, some who received mainstream treatment and some who sought alternatives.

But what do we expect that those who didn't survive it would say if they could speak up?

[roguevalley]

35. my dad had radiation after lung cancer and got 21 years more. if

he hadn't hurt his throat during radiation, he would still be here. GAIN WEIGHT BEFORE EITHER PROCEDURE. a study out yesterday say people who have weight before do better. :)

[Jim Lane]

37. An easy date for me to remember, thanks to Al Gore

Tuesday morning: Vote for Gore for President. Also vote for Lieberman, but please don't hold that against me.

Tuesday afternoon: Check self into hospital to begin chemo.

Rest of November and early December: Freed from daily grind, have plenty of time to watch election theft unfold on hospital TV.


A couple weeks from now will be the eighth anniversary of my return to work.

Congrats to my fellow survivors. To those of you who've lost someone, my heart is with you.