survivorship (poll)

I feel compelled to share this … first, I’m a 6+ yr survivor … and I too considered myself a survivor from moment one at the time of my dx. But enough about ME, this isn’t about ME.

I want to tell you about a man & woman my husband and I met last week at a rest stop on I-81 traveling South through Pennsylvania and Maryland.

My husband and I were driving back from vacation in New England and we passed a car with a pink ribbon magnet. I noticed something was written on the magnet in black marker but I couldn’t read it at the time. I waved to them - pink ribbon to pink ribbon - and we drove on. Later we’d stopped at a rest stop and the car we’d seen earlier pulled in near us. I watched as the man helped the woman out of the car and assisted her walking into the building. They were both moving so slowly that I thought at first she must be weak from treatments and I wanted to say hello so I walked around the back of their car to see what written on their pink ribbon.

I couldn’t believe my eyes – it said 46 year survivor! I couldn’t resist approaching them and telling them I’d noticed their ribbon and wanted to offer my congratulations. They lit up like Christmas trees – and she looked so lovingly at each other and they told me she was dx at age 28, they talked about how little was known back then, how scared they were, how difficult the surgery was back then, and how they’d gone on to raise their children and live happily ever after.

He grinned ear to ear and proudly told me that HE had written 46 years on the magnet two years ago and that no one had mentioned it to them in two years.

I wish I’d asked their permission to publish their names, but I didn’t so I’ll keep their names to myself. But regardless – CONGRATULAIONS again Mr. and Mrs. nice couple from Maryland.

So, if you ever see a precious elderly couple with a pink ribbon magnet on their car that says 46 year survivor in black magic marker, please say hello to them and send my regards.

I call them SURVIVORS!

I've never thought about when to consider myself "a survivor".
I supose your a survivor the min. your dx and choose to fight rather than give up. For now a battle is won, but the war continues until there is a cure for bc.
God Bless:)

I am a surivor from the day I found my lump. August 17,2004. When I found it I knew what it was. Was not surprised when I got the results back. Scared and upset with the news. But not surprised. So I count from that date on.

Moderator notified, portalanjeysor.

I consider myself a survivor from the moment I heard my diagnosis because that is when I truly began my battle against this disease.  I had a lumpectomy with 14 nodes removed (2 were positive), had chemo and radiation and am now on tamoxifen.  I worked full time during my treatment and am now 1 year and 6 months after diagnosis and am doing very well.  My support was my two sons and a couple of close friends.  My brothers and sisters weren't much help...probably because my mother died from BC about 25 years ago, and they just can't deal with it.  I will continue to be a survivor and a fighter.  Hugs to all...

I used to feel that I wasn't a Survivor because all I had was a little lump and they took it out and in my mind it's Gone and not coming back.  So cancer tried to get me but I didn't give it a chance.  The disease itself never had symptoms other than the fact that I was afraid of it, it hurt a little, and I couldn't stand the idea of having something ugly and dangerous like that it my body.  It felt great to great rid of it.

However, the treatment does have symptoms.  Chemo and Radiation made a permanent dent in my life.  I'm recovering but I'm different, and in some ways, it was a positive thing.  Negative in other ways.  But I feel like I survived something that was serious enough to affect the rest of my life in some way.

For what it's worth, I spent a lot of time trying to find the old me and could not find it.  I lost the ability to paint.  So I finally took advantage of the free social worker visit that came with the oncology clinic and made an appointment.

She was a very lovely, well educated person, and seemed genuinely interested in talking to me.  I came in with two paintings, a pre-chemo painting and a post chemo painting.  The difference in the quality of the two paintings was an enormous...a chasm that I thought would be impossible for me to bridge.  It took five years of very concentrated effort to become a good artist, and I thought I had lost everything I had worked for before.

The social worker took a look at the two paintings, and pointed to the pre-chemo one and said, that is a beautiful painting, but that artist is gone.  You are not that person any more.   Then she pointed to the post-chemo painting, and said that she saw merit in it, and that she could even imagine buying it (I couldn't IMAGINE anyone buying it).  She said I was still an artist, but I was going to have to start from a different point.  There IS such a thing as chemo brain, and it makes you different.

Strangely enough, I felt liberated, so I signed up for an art class with an old friend, a simple drawing class, drawing figures, and I'm having a marvelous time.  After a few weeks I feel that I'm way beyond where I was before chemo...it's almost as though I gained something by losing something.

Sorry if this is a little off-topic...but I thought it might help. 

I have always considered myself a survivor in life.  Cancer is now part of the quilt that makes up my life and is another event that I survive :-)

Anne

Hi, My wife had breast cancer (DCIS) in 1994. Lumpectomy and radiation. After 5 years we considered her a survivor. She celebrated 10 years cancer free by doing the  San Francisco 3-day walk in 2004. A greatly emotional time for our whole family (we have two daughters). After ten years we thought we were home free!

This year her routine mammogram found a mass.  Stage II invasive ductal carcinoma in the other breast. Double mastectomy in August and now towards the end of chemo (last one the day after Christmas), with herceptin drip for another 8 months.

I'd have to say that she is a "once and future" survivor.

Today she is a fighter.

I was diagnosed in March 2007.  I did the "Making Strides" walk here in Cincinnati this past October, and went I first got there I was walking with a friend of mine to register as walkers and I asked her this very question.  She told me, "honey, in my book, you became a survivor the day you decided to fight."

I like that.

I have always said that I was diagnosed March 16, and declared war March 17.   

is there any one that wants to chats

I am not a survivor of cancer, I am a survivor of BC treatment.  All cancer can do is take my life, what treatment has done is make my life almost unlivable. 

I HATE the word survivor.

I HATE the term battle.

I HATE the pink stuff.

Thats about it, really.

Isabella.

To all of the wonderful penners today and past -- I've been thru a year of cancer treatment and know how hard it can be -- but your notes really bouyed me up. Just before I was diagnosed(8/06) I had, to my surprise, written a book! I am not a writer but for some reason the story just bubbled out and it was so much fun! Then 'it' happened and for the next several months I concentrated solely on my treatment and recovery. Then I read what I had written -- it was not good--so I have spent the last year editing it and now I am going to get it published for my grandchildren from me.  Just for the fun of it. That is how I have survived --not by thinking about the breast cancer each day but by creating a delightful story about an adventurous group of children.  Be strong all of you and thank you so much for sharing your stories. It helps!

Hi all! I am the new kid on the Block.  I am a survivor  1 year 8 months.

I think that the women on this site are strong and well beat Cancer at it's own Game.

Yes I know that the Pink Ribbon some times goes to far .  Some of the products that say they will donate a part of the sale, is not very much.  But we think that it goes to a good cause.  So we get.  

I think being apart of a support group helps those that may not have any one to go to.  So count me in.

" We need to take care of each other" 

Karla