Long term suriviors (10+ years)

[Negative101]

Hello all :hugs:

Im interested in knowing how many of you are (or know of people) long term survivors of thyroid cancer.

Please state how long ago you found out you had cancer, what type, whether it had spread, and your current prognosis.

I understand that thyroid cancer is indeed very treatable, and at times, even curable. Unfortunately, few studies can be found on those who had it over 10-20 years ago.

Thank you

[Octavia]

I plan to be. :)

[Negative101]

Posted in wrong forum... sorry.
Can this be moved to the cancer survivor forum plz

[Octavia]

Posted in wrong forum... sorry.
Can this be moved to the cancer survivor forum plz

It's been moved.

[webster2]

I plan to be as well.

[Octavia]

Negative101, I'm curious...what prompts you to ask this question? Is it somehow related to your own diagnosis, or are you simply curious?

I don't think you're going to have much luck finding long-term survivors on this board - if someone's thyroid cancer diagnosis & treatment was that long ago, they've likely "moved on" mentally, and would not seek out a discussion forum such as this. Does that make sense?

[Negative101]

Negative101, I'm curious...what prompts you to ask this question? Is it somehow related to your own diagnosis, or are you simply curious?

I don't think you're going to have much luck finding long-term survivors on this board - if someone's thyroid cancer diagnosis & treatment was that long ago, they've likely "moved on" mentally, and would not seek out a discussion forum such as this. Does that make sense?

Curious, more or less. My diagnosis thus far has simply been hashimito's. My TPO is 130... ultrasound found no nodules, just a thyroid that is on the "upper limits of normal" - but still normal.

There doesnt seem to be much on 20+ year survivors, but I guess you're right... you dont really want it determining who you are or how youll live your life.

Im a hypochondriac at heart... so I always like to expand and assume the worst and look at the possible outcomes :sad0049:

[SnoodMama]

The 10+ year survivors are probably not looking at thyroid boards anymore!!!

[Catnap]

I'm not sure about long term survivors on this board, but I was only reading yesterday that life expectancy with early stage papillary was the same as the general population. I think this was a Dutch study. I think cancer statistics can be confusing as often termed by 5 or 10 year survival rates, but i think (don't quote me) that for some cancers if you survive past 10 years you are in remission or disease free and with papillary that means you are highly likely to live as long as you would've had you never had it. Thats my understanding of it anyways.

[joplin1975]

My cousin's wife is a nearly 15 year survivor, after a TT and RAI. :)

[Butterflyjkg]

I'm not sure about long term survivors on this board, but I was only reading yesterday that life expectancy with early stage papillary was the same as the general population. I think this was a Dutch study. I think cancer statistics can be confusing as often termed by 5 or 10 year survival rates, but i think (don't quote me) that for some cancers if you survive past 10 years you are in remission or disease free and with papillary that means you are highly likely to live as long as you would've had you never had it. Thats my understanding of it anyways.

That is VERY good to hear. My papillary was the size of a grain of rice and I AM TOTALLY CURED.. so they tell me. I don't know too much about all of it.. and to be honest.. when I go online and read things it makes me very scared and nervous. I try not to read too much and just trust that I was saved in time, unlike my mother. Sometimes you have to "Let Go and Let GOD". A friend of mine told me that a few weeks ago. I work with someone from my childhood and I used to hang with her sister when we were kids. She was diagnosed about 16 years ago with Stage 4 cancer. NOT thyroid..but some really serious kind... lymphoma?? She had 3 small kids and I was in my 20's then. Her cancer was EVERYWHERE.. in her bones, lymph glands and I mean EVERYWHERE.
They gave her 7 different kinds of chemo. She was in HORRIBLE shape. My mom was battling her thyroid cancer back then and had a good prognosis after her TT and lymph glands taken out. I wrote this sister of my friend a letter giving her encouragement and telling her that she should NOT give up and that I was praying for her to heal.... many years later about 11... I saw that she worked in the hospital here where I did.

I said hello and I guess I was shocked to see her alive. She said thank you for that letter you wrote me... I still have it to this day. Well.. what comes around goes around. That was SIXTEEN years ago that she was written off for dead. I talk to her pretty often now. She is now the medical staff secretary at our hospital. She SURVIVED that cancer that was in every cell of her. I told her that I was having my surgery on my thyroid and she said that she would pray for me.. that I was an angel and helped her in a very dark time when she received my letter.

Now she was praying for ME. I asked her HOW she survived that ordeal from hell when she was NOT expected to live...HOW did she make it 16 years when her prognosis was pretty much DEATH. Here is her answer.. and it's pretty profound and it's pretty elementary all at the same time.... she said.. " I never EVER thought I would die from it. It never crossed my mind. I was too busy. I had little kids I had to take care of. I didn't have time to be down and think bad things... I had a life to live... I just did my treatments and got on with it. "

So... there you have it. If she would have thought I'M GOING TO DIE, would she have died?? She is a walking miracle. When I see her I have to smile. She knocked on death's door.. and RAN! :tongue0015: