Five years ago today I was in the stirrups in New Albany seeing Dr. Baldwin. Five years ago today he was taking a biopsy of a tumor on my cervix. Five years ago today I asked "what could it be other than cancer?" Five years ago he told me, "you have cancer, this is just a formality."
Today I have met the five year statistic. I am part of the 80% of women who are diagnosed with stage 1b2 cervical cancer who will live at least five years. I am a part of the successful statistic. This survival rate statistic is explained by the American Cancer Society: Statistics on the outlook for a certain type of cancer are often given as 5-year survival rates. The 5-year survival rate is the percentage of people who live at least 5 years after being diagnosed with cancer.
However, I don't feel like a success story. I thought that the 80% who make it to five years would be healthy, cancer free, not still dealing with cancer. This is not what I realized this statistic could mean. I didn't realize you could be a part of the the positive side of the statistic but still have cancer.
Today, I am going to work on wrapping my head around the statistic in a different light. I am going to celebrate that I am still here after five years. I cannot imagine what my family's lives would be like without me here for these five years. My son, at 8 years old, I cannot imagine what it would be like for him if I didn't make it these five years.
During the upcoming week my family will be having the celebration of a lifetime together. I am going to embrace the five years we've had together since I was diagnosed and hope that we can continue to keep my cancer maintained for many years to come.
Today, please take a moment to read my story: www.cervivor.org/erica and do something nice for someone. If you are in the drive through buy the person behind you their meal, help someone who looks lost, just do something nice. Tell them you are doing it in honor of my five year cancerversary, even with cancer still being a part of me I am alive. That alone is something to celebrate!
Today I have met the five year statistic. I am part of the 80% of women who are diagnosed with stage 1b2 cervical cancer who will live at least five years. I am a part of the successful statistic. This survival rate statistic is explained by the American Cancer Society: Statistics on the outlook for a certain type of cancer are often given as 5-year survival rates. The 5-year survival rate is the percentage of people who live at least 5 years after being diagnosed with cancer.
However, I don't feel like a success story. I thought that the 80% who make it to five years would be healthy, cancer free, not still dealing with cancer. This is not what I realized this statistic could mean. I didn't realize you could be a part of the the positive side of the statistic but still have cancer.
Today, I am going to work on wrapping my head around the statistic in a different light. I am going to celebrate that I am still here after five years. I cannot imagine what my family's lives would be like without me here for these five years. My son, at 8 years old, I cannot imagine what it would be like for him if I didn't make it these five years.
During the upcoming week my family will be having the celebration of a lifetime together. I am going to embrace the five years we've had together since I was diagnosed and hope that we can continue to keep my cancer maintained for many years to come.
Today, please take a moment to read my story: www.cervivor.org/erica and do something nice for someone. If you are in the drive through buy the person behind you their meal, help someone who looks lost, just do something nice. Tell them you are doing it in honor of my five year cancerversary, even with cancer still being a part of me I am alive. That alone is something to celebrate!
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