Survivor- How to count the years?

Hi Tabatha, this question has been asked by many and the answer is , a lot of girls calculate from DX and others from end of treatment.  It seems to be a matter of personal choice, for me, I calculate mine from day of DX and that will be seven years next month.  Cheers!

Peace, strength, love n hugs.  chrissyb

I don't care how you count - just KEEP STACKING UP THOSE YEARS!

(Actually I would count from dx, i.e. You had cancer in 5/09, this is 11/10 - you've been a survivor for a year and a half. If you want to get technical, I'd say I finished my treatments six months ago. (I finished then, too.)  But I really believe that as time passes, the specific differences will fade away, as in "Oh yeah, I had bc back in 2010 or so - been about 20 years now..."  That's what I'm planning to say!

Oh, I am so glad someone posted this question...it has always confused me too.  Found my lump late 1998, biospy April 1999, surgery June 1999, started chemo July 1999 and finished in March 2000. 

I pretty much figured that since my first 'yearly' checkup was in June of 2000 - a year from the removal of the cancerous parts - June has always been the time of year for them - the five year mark was June of 2004 and the 10 year was June of 2009 (I postponed it until August since my Marine son was coming home for the first part of the summer). 

So cancer has been in my life for 12 years 2 1/2 months- surgically removed 11 1/2 years ago, first round consumed 1 3/4 years of my life from finding the lump to end of treatment - 10 years 3 months from surgical erradication was dx'd with mets - 9 years 6 months certifiable NED (end of treatment scans confirming NED to mets dx) now 1 year 1 month and 3 weeks out from mets dx.  Good golly - what do I count?  I know now...just passed my one year metsaverisary! 

Survivor status...12 years 2 1/2 months I have been LIVING with breast cancer- active, NED and active again. 

That is how I have been explaining it all this time...nice to know I can now say 12 years 2 1/2 months and be done with it!

Thanks you guys!

Low

I like to use the date of dx because I have been living with cancer since the day of dx. I had surgery on 8/30/2010 so I am NED but not cured. NED is a milestone but the cancer was there before that.

Anyways that is how I count it.

I count from the day of diagnosis that was  March,2005. I had undergone breastconservative operation with a flip, 33 cycles of RD and 6 chemos completed  in Dec,2005. After that Tamixifan for 1 and half years and now  on Arimidex.  I am not sure whether I am fully cured or not as I am still reporting to my doctor for  follow up treatment on every six months.Sometimes my mind got  fully confused. But these days I stop thinking seriously as I am ready to face  whatever comes in my life.