Originally Posted by Papa Tom

Cyclists have been patching and re-using tubes for a hundred years, give or take. Patched correctly, a repaired tube is just about good as new. For this reason, it's a pretty safe bet that the tire you take home and patch (the right way) will last about as long as a brand new tube.

I'll admit, though, that it took me quite a few flats to get it right and not have the same results as the OP when patching my tires.