True Date of Diagnosis

lintrollerderby

Hi, everyone.

I've taken a fairly long hiatus from BCO, but I'm trying to get back into things here because, frankly, I need it.

This isn't really a Stage I and II question, but I didn't really know where to post it. I've tried searching for it instead of starting a topic, but I couldn't really find anything.

I realize that there are usually two dates for diagnosis: the date the pathologist diagnoses the cells from biopsy and the date you find out the news. For some people, it's the same date; for others, like me, they are not. The date on my pathology report that lists the lump as IDC is almost 2 weeks from when I was told. It sometimes causes a pause at the MO's office if they ask me and I say May 11, 2011 and they're looking at another date on the paperwork. I know in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter, but out of curiosity, what date do you guys go by if they weren't the same date?

Thanks.

MondaysChild

I use the date I was told the results of the pathology testing.

indenial

I generally just say "February" but if I need to be more specific, I use the date I was told it was cancer. Otherwise there are too many other options (like the date I found the lump 6mos earlier, or the date a month earlier that I knew in my heart it was cancer, or the date I got the u/s one week earlier...) But really, I don't think it matters much...

msphil

I use the date that I became cancer free, which is when all my treatment was done, I could use the date after the mastectomy and docs said all cancer gone or you can go on and on, its up to the person the date they want to use. The difference in my two would be a yr,1993 diagnose, and 1994 I was finished all treatment, either way I (Praise GOD).

doxie

I use the date of the pathology report.  It's easy to remember.  My birthday.

NatsFan

Doxie - one of those birthday presents you'd rather not receive.  I had a similar b-day present - my biopsy was on my birthday (which is also Christmas Eve) and I got the official results on New Year's Eve.  Birthday, Christmas, and New Year's - all shot to heck in one fell swoop!    Of course now, 5 years later, I can chuckle about it, but at the time it was pretty annoying. 

doxie

NatsFan - How not cool! I used to often forget it was my birthday on the day, now I don't.

The docs and nurses made a big deal of my birthday coming up when I was having the excisional surgury.  The last thing the BS said before I went under with anesthesia was that he would call me on my birthday if I didn't have cancer.  I didn't get to reply that I wanted to know either way on that day.  So when I didn't get the call, I knew.  

mammalou

According to my cancer insurance policy, it is the date of the surgery/biopsy that excised that tissue diagnosed as cancer.