How is the one year cancer anniversary calculated?

beatrice00

How do I calculate my one year cancer anniversary, from the date of diagnosis or the surgery date? I also have another different cancer now, can I still be a survivor even though I am not technically cancer free now? Does the one year countdown start all over because of the new cancer? I am not sure how this works. 

proudtospin

sorry you have a second cancer.

you get to count your anniversary when ever you want

me I flunked my mamo June 2008, ended my rads in Dec 2008 so both are my anniversary times to me

dltnhm

Beatrice. 

There are many answers to that question. I have yet to claim a particular one but am not fond of the term 'cancer anniversary'. Just doesn't sit with me. Toe-may-toe --- Tuh-mah-toe.  

I do know the date since I was first diagnosed. That's one. The date I completed chemotherapy. That's another. The date I finished rads. Three. 

I am sorry you are facing another cancer. If you feel the survivor - claim it. You are one til you're not .... so say some. 

Love the name Beatrice. It was my grandmother's :-) 

exbrnxgrl

Beatrice,

There is no "official" way to calculate this! You get to decide, and celebrate or not celebrate whatever you want. I figure that if you know the month /year of your diagnosis that's good enough for any medical history.

Annette47

I agree - it's however you want to calculate it.    I'm aware of my diagnosis date, but prefer to celebrate the anniversary of the day I finished treatment and started getting on with the rest of my life.

Sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed again ... again, I think you observe whatever dates however you want, but for medical history purposes I would note both diagnosis dates.

ej01

If you are going to celebrate every year, the anniversary of surgery or end of treatment would be most logical to me.  But like the others said there are no rules...whatever works for you.   

Personally i never felt like the survivor term fit me because I 'just' had a small DCIS  It would have been uncomfortable to me to consider myself a survivor....but that's just me.   Many others with DCIS do feel the term fits.

faerywings

Beatrice, I agree with the ladies who already posted.Your cancer, your rules. Think and do what feels right to you. Life is too short to worry over what other people thing about terminology.

I am so sorry to hear that you have to go through this again, much luck and healing thoughts to you.

ej, I totally get what you are saying, and am dealing with that myself. I am doing the "Survivor Lap" for Relay for Life this May and I internally cringe when I think about it. My SW is helping me to acknowledge that while my dx and tx is on the good end of the cancer scale (for which I am so grateful!!!) I still had to deal with the dx, the tx, the SE's. Its still not a good fit, but at least I see where she is coming from in accepting hte terminology. She also says *many* of the people she sees say the same thing.

slv58

I agree with everyone but just want to mention that I had read on the John Hopkins site that most doctors calculate it from date of diagnosis. I still think it's your decision. For me it is the date of surgery and my body was rid of physical evidence! My new birthday :-)

mrenee68

I agree with slv58 doctors say day of diagnosis but I use the day I had my MX, that was the day the cancer was removed from my body. Really you can pick whatever day you feel is best, it is your journey and your cancer anniversary day is something you get the say in.

Bren-2007

Hi Beatrice,

I count my anniversary as the day I had surgery, as I was technically cancer-free at that point.  Plus, it's an easy date for me to remember.  I have a hard time remembering the month my treatment ended .. think it was in July.

I'm sorry to hear you have another cancer.  Will keep you in my thoughts.

hugs,

Bren

beatrice00

I decided that I will count one year on the date I was first diagnosed with cancer, August 9th. 

mripp

I've decided....my treatment end date and I'm DONE and moving on with life! So, 9/10/2014!!!!