Update 8 years out: Anaplastic Astrocytoma; read if looking for hope.

AmyES said:

You are right

 I am so happy to read that your sister is still doing well!  She was on my prayer list for a long time, and thank God she is still still doing well! I was diagnosed in August 2013, and I found this discussion board and you and several others gave me so much hope. I am now six years out and doing well. I have my MRI coming up in early November, I’ve been blessed to have very few complications.  I was even able to have a baby after my diagnosis. Unfortunately, the first pregnancy after my diagnosis was a miscarriage, and then I lost an infant to preterm labor. While I was grieving, I got pregnant again and I now have a happy healthy six month old daughter. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor exactly one week after I gave birth to my first child.  It was terrifying to have a newborn and to find out that I had an anaplastic astrocytoma in the same month. Your posts gave me hope and comfort in a very bittersweet time. Bittersweet because I had this perfect little baby in my life, but I had a doctor telling me that I’d be doing good to live five years. That was terrifying. The same doctor that said five years was good told me that 2 to 3 years with more likely. Needless to say, she did not become my treating oncologist. I found somebody with a little bit more confidence in my survival! Is not good for the soul to stay with the doctor that’s already digging your grave. It was devastating to think of my child growing up without his mother. I always thought my newborn would be an only child, but as the years went on with no complications I decided I was living my life out of fear and still had a strong desire to have more children. My son and daughter are five years apart, and both are very healthy. I unknowingly had the tumor growing in my head while I was pregnant with my son, and when I was pregnant with my daughter  I was taking medicine for the secondary diagnosis of epilepsy from the brain tumor.   I had pre-conception consultations with high-risk obstetricians, Nuro oncologist and neurologists and my regular treating oncologist. I did my homework, but I also always looked for the survival stories on here to give me hope.  I needed your  experiences of survival, and even thriving, to help me get through my treatments. I’m so thankful! And I’m so happy to see your post!  Thank you for leaving your  experience here.  I think it gives hope to more people than you will ever realize! 

I don't know when you will see my response, since I came back two years later to finally read yours. I am so so so happy that you are doing well and that you are seeing your children growing. Thank you for your wonderful  long message. My sister is now learning figure skating this year. ?