Cancer "survivor": How do you feel about this term?

Hello everyone, 

How are you today? Have you seen this older discussion? 

How do you feel about the term "cancer survivor"? Does it give you a sense of pride or courage? Or do you think it adds to the general stigma around cancer?
@1DCROMO9‍ @14valentine14‍ @mzmaggie76‍ @bearsfan‍ @Dazedd‍ @Gailps‍ @Chicken little‍ @Rmnana15‍ @f45sdf46‍ @JillyG‍ @BonnieC‍ @Hind97‍ @moshiro‍ @Jacobrock25‍ @Stacabirda‍ @The6ofme‍ @Michelle413‍ 

Feel free to share your thoughts here, it's interesting to see what others think!

Take care,
Courtney

The term Cancer Survivor,  I guess that’s me!    I was Dx in June 2018. With stage4 B Figo 2 endometrial cancer had 6 carboplatin and taxol. Aug to nov 2018: had a break. Then finally the long awaited laproscopic  robotic hysterectomy! Jan 2019 Which had a good outcome ! I had 3 more chemo with Avastin. 2nd opinion at CTCA . I had ct scan and labs. They declared me NED April 18 of 2019 I will be NED 2 years on April,18 2021.  I feel I fought cancer and got NED. And returned to work. With MCSD AUG 2019.  Worked in person at school until outbreak of Covid in March 2020. I returned to work in person Aug 2021.  Still working now !  It’s been a challenge,  a fight, and a true survival ! !  I feel I fought cancer and survived it just in time to fight and survive  a pandemic , 

Having recently found that I'm in remission after 6 mos. chemo and radiation afterwards, I have mixed feelings. Maybe confusion is a better word? Lisalinn above? I "get" how you feel, I pushed myself hard through chemo, (and often fell off my bike when I tried to exercise LOL), I didn't complain, I kept my chin up. This was easier for me than most for one reason I think... I moved to a different state for treatment and knew nobody. Every couple of weeks I'd talk to my brother Gary who was great, but otherwise isolation. Nobody saw how sick I was and as I had nobody to complain to I just didn't think of self-pity and strangely I wasn't bitter.  Now no cancer sites are visible after a PET scan (26 Jan) but now what to do? My thoughts seem like scrambled eggs some days, I'm planning on leaving MA in the spring for FLA. where I have family and this seems exciting. But I've become either worn out or depressed these last 2 months and this is not like me. Cancer survivor is something that I can't think about now, the port for infusion remains in my chest and I can't think in these terms for awhile. I'll straighten out eventually I'm certain, I'm no stranger to adversity. When I leave Springfield MA in the spring, I will never discuss lymphoma or any cancer with anybody...nobody gets it unless they've had it. If tests look good in a few years I won't think of it... There are plenty of other things that may take me out at 64 and I don't suppose I'll worry about these either. I can't be afraid constantly or I'll never sleep. Anyway, good luck to all here and thank God spring's coming....

Diagnosis  with Uterine cancer in 2009 and then Breast  cancer  in 2018. The first  was relatively  easy just had  a  histeremcemy.  The  second  involved  surgery  to  remove  a  lump and radiation . And 5 to 10 years of hormone blocker therapy. 

So I am about  2 years  into  the  hormone blocker therapy 

I feel  that  I  have  been  blessed  and God allowed  me  to  be healed. 

But  survivor  I have  a  hard time with that term. Do  I belong  out there recognize  at a relay for life event along side  of people I know who had a  much more  difficult  time. 

Not even  crazy  about  having  to  go  to a cancer center  for treatment 

I want to be a survivor this is year 6 with stage 4 colon cancer. I will never have surgery unless you count the surgery they want to do the glass beads for my liver but don't know yet. I have it on my lungs, liver, lymph nodes, between my sternum and my heart. I want to hear that I beat cancer this will someday take me and I'm only 42 diagnosed at the age of 36. I'm not negative been positive really through this whole ordeal.

The word survivor is hard when you have Lynch syndrome.  Hoping three times is it!  Maybe a three time survivor but the leftover chemo effects are hard to survive.  Happy for anyone who calls themselves a survivor! 👏👏👏👍👍

@Lisalinn99 I'm having a hard time accepting "survivor" I can't accept that I am cancer free.

@benjan13 Go into his office and speak to him face to face

@Lisalinn99 I understand what you mean when you talk about the word survivor. Sometimes I think just surviving day-to-day treatments etc. as a valid description of cancer. You survive one day to the next one doctors appointment to the next one chemo or radiation treatment to the next. Then when you’re done fighting through your treatments you kind of feel lost. At least I do. OK I’ve done the treatments I’ve done this a made it through the hair loss I thought through the nausea the low bloodAccounts. Now what do I do? Sit back and wait hope and pray the cancer doesn’t return and get the treatments worked. You’re happy but it’s almost like a letdown like you should still be doing some thing to fight the disease.

I was very interested in reading about others' perceptions of  the term survivor. As an oncology nutrition professional and caregiver, I have personally been uncomfortable with the term because I feel like survivor isn't enough! I like the term cancer thriver! Life is not just about surviving....but thriving, right?!