When do we start to be a Survivor

igotfaith

I want to know when do we start to be a survivor. I think it is different for each one of us, for me I didn't feel like a survivor until I had me kidney removed in July. Until then I felt like I had not gone through anything. But that is how I felt, what about the rest of you, when did you start to survive. When you heard the news or after your first treatment?

puppycakes

I started being a survivor the minute I learned that all my cancer had been removed during my nephrectomy. It was a much better outcome than anyone, including the doctors, expected. Now it's almost 15 months later and I am still cancer-free! I AM A SURVIVOR. Every day is a gift. I wish you all the best.

Danielsmama

puppycakes said:

I started being a survivor the minute I learned that all my cancer had been removed during my nephrectomy. It was a much better outcome than anyone, including the doctors, expected. Now it's almost 15 months later and I am still cancer-free! I AM A SURVIVOR. Every day is a gift. I wish you all the best.

I love your attitude, I had cancer when I was five and lost my right kidney and 2% of my left one and I have been in remission for 16 years now and I felt like I have always been a survivor. I know it happened when I was yound and I don't remember a whole about it but if had happened now I would feel like a survivor every second of the day I get to live. Best of wishes to you too.

FLLee802

Danielsmama said:

I love your attitude, I had cancer when I was five and lost my right kidney and 2% of my left one and I have been in remission for 16 years now and I felt like I have always been a survivor. I know it happened when I was yound and I don't remember a whole about it but if had happened now I would feel like a survivor every second of the day I get to live. Best of wishes to you too.

Dear Danielsmama,
You have hit the nail on the head. Everyday you get up in the morning is a gift of survival. If you cherish it as such you are wise. I am in year 5 or 6 of recovery from a malignant tumor on my vocal flap. I started speaking like Rod Stewart sings and the doctor sent me to a specialist and there it was. Well they shaved my vocal flap with lazor surgery and got 100% of it before it spread. Well I got my voice back and made the shaved vocal flap vibrate and the good flap came over to meet it on a video scan. The doc. said it was unusual to see the shaved flap vibrate. I told him I told my body to do it. You see I believe in the power of positive thinking. My voice is a little deeper which is a good thing. This was important to me because I am a teacher and a folksinger. But I had decided that even if I couldn't talk afterward that I would learn sign and teach the deaf or something. You see I decided early on that I wasn't finished yet and wanted to see my kids grow up. It's interesting that my family was more worried than I was because I always believed in the power of positive thinking. Just in case though, I accepted the prayers of friends and colleagues in case a god was listening. Take care be well.
FLLee

Slowhands

Hi igotfaith
The day after my surgery my surgeon walked in and said "we got it all". I know he was talking about the tumor, but even with that much I told myself I was a survivor. The test during recovery proved us right.
Personal state of mind has a lot to do with recovery so it also plays a big part in the "survivor" state of mind.
They can put numbers on it all they want but we know if we are survivors. Positive attitudes and a good support system help a lot. A whole lot.
Hope this helps.

Slowhands