What date do people use

[LisaA]

I hear people say that they are a cancer survivor for xx years.  What date do people use to determine this?

The date it was first detected? The date treatment was finished? The date that a person is NED for the first time on a scan?

Mine was detected 1 year ago, radiation SBRT treatment ended 8 months ago, last scan 1 week ago was no evidence of new disease. 

Which date do I use?

 

 

 

[BridgetO]

i prefer to call myself a survivor from the date of my diagnosis. (or maybe even before, since my cancer was suspected, but couldn't be confirmed until after my lobectomy)

[Curt]

@LisaA whichever damn date you want!   Congratulations on NED.  

[JCM]

I don’t feel I can call myself a survivor because I’m still being actively surveyed every 8 weeks for slightly enlarging nodules that can be the result of inflammation vs. recurrence at stage 3B following lobectomy and prior chemo/radiation. I think about the possibility of dying so much that I cannot think of myself as a survivor. If I’m fortunate enough to get an NED diagnosis I will feel like a survivor...even if it comes back. I wish I could get back my positive attitude but I’m feeling a bit weary at this point. I hope it’s okay to not express 100 percent positivity on this site.

❤️

Jane CM

 

 

[Rower Michelle]

Perfectly normal Jane...  totally ok to say what you are thinking. It’s probably easier to say these things to us than friends or family. 
 

For me the likelihood of NED is probably not realistic so I go with the date of my diagnosis too.  Somewhere in the archives of this forum there was a similar discussion that reflected a quote that stayed with me “you are a survivor the moment you’re told you have this disease and don’t drop dead from the news”.   (Or something along those lines).  
 

Curt is right- it’s your choice. Whatever works. There’s really no rule book on this since we are the new face of lung cancer.  No one really ever talked about survivorship before.  
 

Rock on Lisa!  
Michelle

[Susan Cornett]

I use my date of diagnosis - my 'cancerversary' - because I have survived this damn cancer, multiple surgeries and treatments, and all that came with it. You decide what works for you but in my book, we're all survivors from the minute we're diagnosed.

[LisaA]

Thank you all for your replies. I really just need something that is finally positive in my life since it has been a long, long year.    So I am using tomorrow, 11/24 as my date since that was the date of detection. 

So a happy 1 year cancer survivor dinner and toast will occur tomorrow.  I wish good health and healing to all on this board. Thank you for being here for me whenever I have needed answers. I'm grateful that I am not alone. 🧡

[JLA]

I use the date of my detection, but the important thing is you're still here to decide. 

[Niess]

• Congrats on the news Lisa A. I wish you many wonderful days ahead , that's such great news.
• To JCM, everyone here is supportive, PERIOD. If we were all happy and care free and nothing was screwing with our lives, then this forum probably wouldn't be here. LET IT FLY.

I may be new but I've already learned so much from other LC stories, experiences (both good and bad) and the responses to the posts.