The word "Survivor."

As another poster stated, breast cancer does not define me. It's just another one of life's many challenges. (Stage 3 for reference) I would never use the word survivor. If I die of something other than BC, I will be a BC survivor. I used to participate in Race for the Cure (no longer run in my area). If I did participate in one today, I would not wear the shirt or hat or pin or even pink. It's personal, it's private, it's irrelevant except for when it's not such as checkups, etc. I'm not a warrior, I'm not courageous or strong. I simply take that first step and put one foot in front of the other for everydays ongoing challenges. I'm just me living my life as best I can.

This is a question I can only answer with both a “Yes” and “Maybe”. 3 years post diagnosis, I am thankful for the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring every 6 months. So far, there is no evidence of disease. Therefore, I do feel thankful and consider myself a “Survivor”. Even so, I’m almost hesitant to overuse the term because I feel like the uncertainty and concern of recurrence justifies an asterisk accompanying the word. I almost don’t want to be overconfident. So, on the days I am feeling fantastic, it is a definite, “Yes”. On the days I’m not feeling well or worried about upcoming tests, I tend to lean towards “Maybe”.

Regardless, the two words I find myself identifying with are “Thankful” and “Hopeful”…

Thank you for posing this question!! ❤️

I am not fond of the term survivor. No one knows whether or not she/he will survive cancer. To me, survivor means one and done, such as surviving a car accident. I feel like I survived the treatments - 2 lumpectomies and 16 radiation treatments which, luckily, were not bad for me. I was unable to tolerate anastrozole. The chance of recurrence is never 0, so the verdict is still out on whether or not I will survive cancer. In November, it will be 4 years since I finished radiation. They have been good years. I feel fortunate. I turned 74 in May. I wish everyone, in this club that we never wanted to join, many good years ahead. Sending hugs.

I love your comments and share your sentiments.
In addition to survivor, I dislike the expression "battling cancer". It seems to me that cancer fights us. For some, no matter how hard they "fight", cancer takes over. We fight through the treatments, as harsh as they often are, and hope for the best. We try to take care of our bodies by eating well, exercising, etc., but we don't know, if those things will stave off cancer. It seems to have a mind of its own.
I don't think of myself as fatalistic, but realistic. Carpe Diem!

Carpe Diem is always inspiring!

I too am not fond of the term survivor. To me surviving means you have dealt with an event or experience. It is now over. I have survived polio and a tornado, It has always been interesting to me that they never say your are in remission or that you are cured from breast cancer. Breast cancer seems like chickenpox virus. That virus lays dormant in the dorsal root of nerves. Breast cancer cells can lay dormant in many places. Something stimulates them just like with the chickenpox virus to reappear. Fortunately we have both medicine and vaccines to protect us from the chickenpox virus. Maybe soon we will have better detection devices for breast cancer cells, medicine, and/or vaccines to protect us.

If there is a light to each day ??
It has been all if you my Dear Friends
Being grateful, hopeful, and loving!

When I hear the word “survivor” I think of the song by Gloria Gaynor, “I will survive”, popular in 1978. It was before the TV show Survivor and all the wilderness survival shows that made winning the end point. It was a time when many women were still in very low paying jobs; only 8% of working women used childcare in 1977. “I will survive” had a different meaning for women then, than now.

Although Gloria’s song is about a relationship breakup, I see it as a metaphor for life. “At first I was afraid, I was petrified” - yep, life has handed me a few things like that. “But I grew strong, and I learned how to get along” - that, too.
So, when I was diagnosed it did feel a little like “I will survive” - because I knew nothing about the real issues of cancer. I think I walked out of every one of those early oncology/radiology/surgical appointments thinking “whew, I survived that”.

I don’t mind the term survivor, but it can seem a bit limiting as a defining term when considering my life and everything I am. As I age and I lose some little bit of physicality every year, I feel I become stronger. I have weathered through many years. And if you ask if I’m a survivor, I’ll probably start humming that song.

It is such a great song--and still meaningful to me. Thanks for the reminder, and bringing in to the discussion. In a way "I will survive" speaks of an ongoing process. That is easier for me to be inspired by than something fixed that I can't really count on--as in the word "survivor."

I so remember the song as you wrote some of the lyrics. Cancer treatments. Nothing any of us can guess about. We must feel it and live it. All of it.
I complete at least 10,000 steps a day. I have 1500 left. I need to close my computer and get outside.