Probably a Silly Question
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seasparrow
Member Posts: 7
I am embarassed to say, but I don't know at what point you "officially" are counted as a survivor. I believed I was a survivor before I got the results of my biopsy. But, is there a time frame or something that "statistically" makes you a survivor?
Please forgive my ignorance and thanks for not laughing at me.
Please forgive my ignorance and thanks for not laughing at me.
Comments
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don't know. I asked this here on the boards once and they said we are ALL survivors...just finished chemo and still need to do rads, so...........
ravdeb -
Ravdeb,
Thanks. That's kind of how I see it. Like I said, I knew I was a survivor before the diagnosis was definitive.
smobre -
smobre--as soon as you've got it, you're living with it (and surviving).
take care,
--Hattie
the silly /stupid ?s are just the unasked/ unanswered ones -
Not silly at all...I always wondered, too. I was told in the Chat Room that they normally base your survivor-ship on your diagnosis date. Mine was 3/31/05 so that makes me a 1-year Survivor!
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LauraB & Hattie,
Thank you, and I guess that makes me a 2-month survivor as my diagnosis date was 2/8/06. -
smobre - There are NO silly questions around here!
I was told that the second you put one foot in front of the other after being officially diagnosed and told that you have cancer is when you're a survivor.
Mine was 05/26/05 - almost a one year survivor!
hugs,
vicki -
I use my official DX date as my survivor date. That was the day it seemed to start for me.
I am almost 22 months out...just a few days to go. -
You all are wonderful, and this is the one place I feel able to express my fears and concerns. This website and these boards have been great for me. I'm sorry that I or any of us have to be here, but am glad this resource is available.
Thank you! -
I often wonder how those who do not have computers or access to them fare. I think they journey would be much more lonely and much more difficult.
And it also was because of the BCO chat room that I eventually went to a weekend gathering and met 9 other women, 8 of which are now good friends. -
I agree that the journey has to be more difficult and definitely lonely for those who are isolated. I know my friends and family are very loving and supportive, but they just can't even fathom some of the stuff I feel.
I mean for the most part, I'm very optimistic and positive. But when my sarcasm shows, and the fact that I get mad knowing so much more (and yet never enough) about breast cancer than I ever wanted to know, they just don't know what to do with me.
I'm the strong silent one, and any signs of weakness makes everyone else anxious and neurotic. Then of course my compulsion to fix kicks in. So, I have my feelings, worries, and anxieties, but they tend to by my own private something (I don't know what to call it).
So it is a relief to have something like BCO to turn to, and just be with my emotions.
Thanks for listening rhymeee. -
Isnt it interesting how we so often find ourselves protecting our familys from our illness and our concerns. Most of us are accustomed to being the strong ones and find ourselves doing this even with our BC. Women rock !
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smobre, the USA government and most trials and published statistics are based on "five year survival" (if alive five years from diagnosis).
"Adjuvant Online" a tool doctors use to predict (makes pretty charts even if they are rather grim) outcome based on your factors and suggested treatment reports in terms of "ten year survival".
Hence I think the simple answer to your question is that you are officially statistically counted as a survivor five years after diagnosis. -
Mithel, I disagree--one is a survivor at dx. Survival stats are different.
I'd like a better word than survivor myself, but haven't found one yet. No matter how long I live, I live with it. I've heard thriver (just entering that zone myself) and sojourner (liking that one better....)
I am 100% sure I am going to die...of something, someday... and I sure don't want my obit to say "She lost her battle with bc" --sounds like my life was a loss, or those who die of bc are not tough enough or something. Still working on the terminology here, as you can see.
Take care,
--Hattie -
I am "surviving" so I guess that makes me a survivor! I proudly display my "survivor pink ribbon" on my car. I'd like to believe I will be a "survivor" for a very, very, long time.
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Hattie, I agree! Just surviving the diagnosis is a major accomplishment and worthy of being called a "survivor".
I was simply trying to clarify terminology because it was originally asked what was "official" and hence I assumed she meant for publication of "survival statistics". -
I have always heard survivorship begins the day of DX.
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I like this way of looking at it - it's a quote from Bill, husband of Lisa who recently passed away from breast cancer (came across her site through another thread here; it's Lisawillsurvive.com) Anways, the quote is: "But I have learned that the battle against cancer has nothing to do with living or dying. It is how you let it affect your life."
Surviving, thriving, sojourning....somehow finding a way to see life beautiful in spite of it all. For me, I've found that possible as I trust that God's in control, able to take even an ugly thing like cancer in stride and use it for my ultimate good and His glory.
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