Welcome long-term survivors!

kdwers said:

I wanted to say thanks for
I wanted to say thanks for posting~ This is what I am looking for in a "long term" survivor board. We need hope, that survivors really do exsist! Statistics aren't always on our side, real stories are! Thank you!

bluerose said:

Hey Phill
Are you talking about your developing cancer cause if you are I kind of disagree to a point with the post here, in some ways it is kind of like getting mugged.

I mean mugging comes out of the blue without warning - so do many cancer diagnosis. Muggings often produce painful injuries - so do many cancer treatments.
Muggings cause mental traumas for many - so does cancer.
Muggings are brutal - so are many cancer treatments.
Muggings leave scars - so does cancer.

I could go on so sometimes, actually, in my not so positive days, I do kind of feel as if I have been mugged by cancer.

Just my little humble opinion.

All the best,

Bluerose

Ern said:

Lily, All
There are very few arenas where you can discuss this experience and really be heard. I am greatful for this sort of board because often I can see where I have been, and where I am going, through the eyes of all of you. I take with me many things ranging from wisdom, strength, hope, fear,you name it. I been the club for some 38 years now, surviving an acute bout of a "poorly undifferentiated metastic process" that ravaged my lungs and lymph nodes. I was not supposed to make six months. I was not supposed to have kids either. At this point the "red devil" and its long term after effects are starting to rear up. I have accecpted my survivorship has been fate to some degree. I am not a particulerly smart, good looking, talented, strong,or affluent person. Nor do I think that in this life I will make history somehow. But for some reason I have made it thus far and I am doing as best I can with it and the time I have left. Through it all, now matter how you feel about your situation, what else can you do? Lily, I for one have been where you are walking now as many here. Be gentle with yourself. Much has happened to you so fast and furious. You may have to mourn the old you before the new one can fully emerge. Hope this helps, All the best to you.

Sundanceh said:

Congratulations!
I'm sure this will be a tremendous success and cover so many types of cancer. I hope that all goes well.

Congrats, Lisa for getting this new forum started up and thanks to CSN for making it happen.

Not sure how I fit in anywhere...I'm 6 1 /2 years into my cancer journey, but still actively fighting...I'm a survivor and over 5 years. I'll be checking it out and look forward to contributing if I have something to offer.

-Craig

to be positive. iam still here 32 years later. a real survivor.

this wil be helping

begin youre day with a dance... begin youre day with a smile..  (its a dutch song and gives you a smile to begin)

Sometimes it hard for anyone who has not had cancer to understand what it took get you through it. It is  a long scary road you can only travel alone. When I told my co-workers my Dr. said I had 18 month to 2 years to live they asked how I dealt with that, what would I do. I asked them what they would do if  someone would tell them they could  have a fatel car accident on the freeway with in the next 18 months. To a one they replied that they wouldn't worry about it, but just get up every day and deal with what came their way. And I said, so thats what I intended on doing also. 

And even though I am still here after 11 1/2 years I still secretly worry and can't sleep good when I go for a CA125 test or a mamag0ram. and don't breath a sigh until I get the test results back. And I know considering all the cancer in our family it may rear its ugly self again. But until then I am going to enjoy every cold, rainy, gray day sent my way. And not feel guilty about any of them. We did not come into this world with any guarrantee and no set exspiration date. If we do have one only the good lord knows it and he isn't telling. So I think we need to enjoy the time we have on earth to the best of our ability. And that will be different for reach of us.and thats OK. M

Gray Hair Gypsy said:

Sometimes it hard for others to understand

Sometimes it hard for anyone who has not had cancer to understand what it took get you through it. It is  a long scary road you can only travel alone. When I told my co-workers my Dr. said I had 18 month to 2 years to live they asked how I dealt with that, what would I do. I asked them what they would do if  someone would tell them they could  have a fatel car accident on the freeway with in the next 18 months. To a one they replied that they wouldn't worry about it, but just get up every day and deal with what came their way. And I said, so thats what I intended on doing also. 

And even though I am still here after 11 1/2 years I still secretly worry and can't sleep good when I go for a CA125 test or a mamag0ram. and don't breath a sigh until I get the test results back. And I know considering all the cancer in our family it may rear its ugly self again. But until then I am going to enjoy every cold, rainy, gray day sent my way. And not feel guilty about any of them. We did not come into this world with any guarrantee and no set exspiration date. If we do have one only the good lord knows it and he isn't telling. So I think we need to enjoy the time we have on earth to the best of our ability. And that will be different for reach of us.and thats OK. M

 

 

hi there,gray hair gypsy,i am not a cancer survivor,but i got the bad news yesterday that my mother has just been diagnosed with uterine papillary serous carcinoma.when the dr. told us that i felt sick at my stomach,& my knees went weak.so as soon as i could i started looking  into it and i found this web site.to tell you the truth i am very worried about my mom,but when i read about positive people like you it conforts me,& i guess what i am trying to say is thank you.thank you for being so positive and know that your post do help.

Hi All,

I've now entering my 47th year of surviving the Big C. I was diagnosed at birth with Neuroblastoma, so every one of my days has ben one as a survivor. I'm now 48, so still going strong. Every now and then a side effect of my treatment hits home, but mostly it's plain sailing.

So a big Hi to all the other long termers out there.

Mik

HI, I am new to these boards and also interested in other long term survivor's experiences. I am very lucky to be 10 years out from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, truly grateful. But like so many I have had many various and ongoing issues as a (possible) result of the cancer. I stopped seeing my onc. 3 yrs ago (my cancer was aggressive,rare, mediastinal so he kept me on longer than usual). I am American but have lived in Britain for 13 yrs and had my treatment here. At the time of my diagnosis I had a lot of people telling me to come home if I wanted the best treatment, all that sort of thing, but I ended up pretty happy with my treatment here overall and had the same treatment as far as I can tell that I would have had in the States (CHOP+Rituximab, monoclonal antibodies and radiation. And stem cell harvest though that wasn't so much a treatment as torture in the name of future insurance!).

Since finishing treatment I have had a sluggish thyroid, a blood clot in my leg, and my gallbladder out. Seeing as I was an otherwise healthy 28 yr old when diagnosed it's hard not to wonder if these things are just coincidences. I have some residual nerve pain/my hands seize up, and of course anxiety (though lessening now) from the whole thing. I had a medistinectomy (chest cut open) pre-diagnosis as my cancer was a real b-word to diagnose because of its location and took three biopsies, which means I have pretty ridiculous scars on my chest that I have tried to learn to love. If I overexercise/stretch my chest bones sort of click slightly out of place - a weird sensation that just sort of reminds me of my history in case I forget! I gained about 30lbs during chemo (steroids), which I took most of off but in the past year have re-gained which is one of those things as a cancer survivor no one thinks you should stress about but you do. I am thinking of going off my thyroid meds as it is a v.low dose and tbh I have only gained weight since I've been on them so I don't think they are doing much good.

Anyway hello, nice to see so many other survivors! Sorry to offload, but you know how it is in the real world you don't want to be a further burden on people than you have been already with your ailments. In general I feel a very lucky girl (er, woman, I'm 40 soon!) to be here. I really would love to read more about other's experiences, if anyone else gets as irked by cancer ignorance as I do, other issues/stresses people face as survivors, would be nice to know I'm not alone :-)

Hello everyone,

I was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkins back in 1983 Yes 1983!! Doe's that qualify as long enough???

Full body radiation for approx. 6 months

No reoccurance of Cancer, in fact If I didnt have my scars I probably would not even think about it anymore. 

I truly believe a strong mindset and belief that I was not losing my life to cancer had a huge impact on my survival.

I am now dealing with  multiple issues with my heart that are most likely related to the Radiation. Small price to pay for an extra 32 years of life and the opportunity to be a father.

Yes my son is adopted, another small price I had to pay to survive was not be able to produce children, they originally gave me 8 months to live so when they suggested I use a sperm bank i thought they were being ridiculous. Who knew!!!

My simple suggestion to all is enjoy every morning when you wake and never sweat the small stuff, in fact don't sweat the big stuff as you have no control over it anyway

Take care and God bless