15 YEARS CANCER FREE

Great story thanks for your inspirational post.

Thanks for posting and reminding all that there are success stories out there.

Life does give us ups and downs in all areas, but as you say we just got to keep on going.

Like you, I sure do miss our Jennie.  She was a ray of sunshine even on the days she felt the worst.  Hopefully, she is looking down on us and still has that wonderful smile.

Marie who loves kitties

What a fantastic milestone to reach ... 15 years cancer free after a stage IV diagnosis.

This has been a particularly difficult week for me as a young friend has entered hospice after an almost 3 year battle with this cruel disease. I am heartbroken for her family - her two young daughers and her husband who will now have to find a way to continue on without his life-partner, his high-school sweetheart ... his best friend.

Your story has reignited my hope and has given me strength to forge on. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for coming around to let us know that there are long terms survivors. I am thrilled to hear that you are doing well and sad that cancer has taken so much from your family. I wish you many years of happiness.

GOD's blessings to you.

Brenda

It is wonderful for all of us here to read your 15 years success. 

Life is hard on allot of levels, but we're born fighters. I pray for your continues health and happiness. 

Congrats on 1-5!

And Jenny told me to tell you hi:)

GOOFYLADIE said:

15 YEARS CANCER FREE

I just want to thank those who have left comments to my post.  I have left all sorts of posts on this board, some when they thought the cancer had come back, Some life sucks, now what, Some holy cow, this is some good crap you all talk about, keep it comin!!! Type stuff!  But I was raised by both my mom and dad, with my dad being more the open you can tell anything and he wouldnt rip your head off if you had a dumb idea, I mean a really, really dumb idea.  He would just give you the other side and let you choose.  He always said we learned by our mistakes, and some people make more mistakes then other.  But is that making the others not as smart because their not asking questions, or are they coasting or do they really have it figured out.  Who knows, but my dad said live your life like an open book, if people ask tell them, if they get feeling hurt or dont like what you said its not your fault.  They asked you, you shared your experience and people dont know if you dont ask!  I think relates to many things, as to judging who and why and how cancer survivors put info on this board. Who are we to judge why they are on here or there needs, we are not in there shoes, we do do not have all their circumstance in our view or hand to know to make a judgement. Its to lay it out there. Some times just getting out, seeing in in writing, is a release like non other. I put info because it makes me stand up and be me for just one more minute of one more day, I can possibly help someone who needs to hear something that happened on my healing journey to get them thru theirs.   

I have been married 23 years in March. I posted a bit about my possible events in my life, because sometimes people get sick and forget that life was not perfect before they got sick, so going back to their normal is a lot harder to get to than just getting my life back in order because they have illusions that their life was perfect.  I would want to agree  that life without cancer is perfect, but in reality when those who are struggling to get there; they cant find that  kind of perfect.  It doesnt exist.

 Anyway, I went out and celebrated my 15 year survivor ship with guess who, who else.  My husband. He is the only one that I have gone thru the depths of hell with and who understood me,with a look that I need ice chips, help to the bathroom, or its time to go to the hospital NOW! AND I NEVER HAD TO SAY A WORD, IT WAS ALL IN A LOOK.  I wasnt sure if people didnt think I was going to fight for my marriage, like I did my life, but people need to be in my shoes and ride the emotional roller coaster.  Sometimes, you have take care of you and stop.  BUT FRANKLY NOT YOUR BUSINESS DONT CARE WHAT YOU THINK ON THAT, I HAD TO VENT and I was an open book.

 I am not about to let $$$$ or life cause things to go down the tubes after what I fought for 15 years ago.  My husband was my superman hero, and I still crack up laughing, all the time the first day I was really coherent from my cancer removal/hemicolectomy surgery, my surgeon was talking to me and he just said "what"  out of the blue and my husband just put his head down and turned red in the face, and I just said "nothin" The surgeon looked at my husband and said I didnt touch her female parts at all.  You still have dibs on those whenever shes up to it, I fell apart, busting up laughing because guys being guys, my husband would crawl in the hospital bed and lay beside me; but he wouldnt touch me, only hold my hand until I would back up and spoon him or make him put his arm around me. He was afraid he was going to hurt me. My point is the surgeon saw from an outsiders point of view that my husband was a love sick puppy ( I know you guys call it other things) we girls still believe in our knight in shining armor. THATS THE GOOD STUFF

MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

Goofyladie (Cass)

Hey Goofyladie,

Just wanted to say congratulations on 15 years cancer free and that I loved your posts. 

Your thoughts really get to the heart of the matter for most people, that life's a **** and then you die so enjoy everyday like it's you're last. 

My wife and I have been married for 38 years, we got married young at 18, and we're been through more than our share of ups and downs (her health has never been great) even before my Stage IV colon cancer diagnosis.  But, through it all we've been there for each other to lean on, cry together, and when necessary to pick each other up, dust each other off, and push each other back into the ring. 

In words of President Theodore Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

I do hope you win your battle to save your marriage and that you continue in good health. 

Fair winds and following seas to you,

Rick

congrats on 15 years!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on 15 years. That is marvelous and give us all a lot of hope. I'm just wondering, if you do not mind me asking - are you on any special supplements or did you do anything else aside from chemo during all these years? Thank you so much.