Five Years!

When does one declare themselves a 5-year Breast Cancer Survivor?  Some say the day you finish all your treatments - surgery, chemotherapy, radiation.  Some say after the surgery to remove the cancerous lump.  Some say you're a survivor the moment you are diagnosed!  That's the one I've used... until now.  A few days ago, I started remembering that this was about the time five years ago, that I received the call from my doctor that my mammogram needed to be repeated because something suspicious was showing up.  That's when the fear started, so I'm claiming the 5-year mark from the time I began to think there might be cancer in my body... and that was in January 2006!  So there!

Now, about the five year thing.  I'm only using it as a cause to CELEBRATE.  I've not been hanging around these past five years, waiting for the 5 year anniversay to come.  I've not lived one moment of these past five years worrying about whether the cancer has returned.  Not one!  What a waste of time that would have been... to spend five years worrying about something that never happened!  (And if the cancer had returned in these past five years, well, worrying would have still been a waste of time!)  I suppose it might mean something to insurance companies... but to me, it's just a reason to celebrate... and an opportunity to begin speaking about breast cancer awareness on the air again.  (I find myself back on the radio after two years away... so I'm guessing my voice may be needed again... to encourage today's busy women to take the necessary time to have a mammogram.)

If you're reading this for the first time, and want to follow my 2006 journey from the beginning... go to the March 8, 2006 entry and start there.  (I wish there was another way to organize the dates on a blog, but I don't know a way to do that.  If you start with 3/8/06, I think it'll be easy to read everything in order.)  As I always say, this journal is not meant to give anyone advice on how to deal with a cancer diagnosis or suggest treatments... it is just an account of how I dealt with the days from diagnosis to my last radiation treatment.  It's my belief that if we simply share our own journey honestly and openly, others will relate as needed in their own life.  Actually, I hope you enjoy reading the journal!  It's not all about being "sick."  It's about new realizations, how life goes on even during chemo, and the large doses of humor that accompanied me (and my husband, Ric) throughout the year!