Survivorship

What is a Survivor?

Today, the accepted definition for cancer survivorship is that it begins on the day of your diagnosis and continues for the rest of your life.  That covers a lot of ground, though, and doesn't really address the ways in which your breast cancer is unique – but at the same time makes you a member of a community of over 12 million cancer survivors in the United States alone, 2.5 million of whom are breast cancer survivors.  You may embrace the idea of being a survivor, or just want to leave your experience in the past.  You may get through your initial treatment and never undergo treatment again, or you may be someone who lives with cancer for a long period of time.  Everyone who faces breast cancer is different.  Your experience will depend on who you are as a person, where you are in the breast cancer journey, and the specific nature of your breast cancer.

One thing is certain.  Having breast cancer changes your life.  It alters your physical appearance, but more importantly, it changes how you think about your life.  For many cancer patients, survivorship means defining a new normal.  That is a process that takes time and is different for everyone.  There is no one "normal," there is your normal. 

Whether you are newly diagnosed and just beginning this journey, or you are a long-term survivor, you are not alone.  If you are concerned about what is happening in your life or want some support, call the Y-ME Hotline and talk to a breast cancer survivor.  Y-ME can match you to a breast cancer survivor who is like you – who has your type of breast cancer, or has young children, or is living with metastic disease.  Y-ME peer counselors are all breast cancer survivors, and they all know the true meaning of the word survivorship.

In this section we will explore: