I've been a survivor for over a year, but I always say, "I am surviving." Why?
PUBLISHED May 03, 2018
Justin Birckbichler is a fourth grade teacher, testicular cancer survivor and the founder of aBallsySenseofTumor.com.
From being diagnosed in November 2016 at the age of 25, to finishing chemo in January 2017, to being cleared in remission in March, he has been passionate about sharing his story to spread awareness and promote open conversation about men's health.
Connect with him on Instagram @aballsysenseoftumor, on Twitter @absotTC, on Facebook or via email justin@aballsysenseoftumor.com.
March 2: Remission Day - the last of my "cancerversaries."
It's been a year since I made the switch from testicular cancer patient to survivor. While I use survivor as a noun (mainly since it's a lot easier to say that than "I had cancer last year but now I am in remission"), I never say, "I survived cancer." The past tense is too final for me. Instead, l am surviving.
Surviving is...
Choosing to find the positive, even when you're not feeling it.
A big tenet in how I approached life before cancer was to maintain a positive mindset. I even hosted weekly meetings at school to share our great moments from our week. When I was given a cancer diagnosis, I decided to do the same. Nurse Jenn even noted it in a card she gave me at the end of chemo, writing, "You were handed a tough regimen, but you were always positive and even when vomiting, you were laughing and making a joke."
Becoming a survivor was a new and equally trying experience. Some days, I was really down in the dumps about how overwhelmed I was feeling about balancing going back to work and also understanding what I had just faced.
It's been a year since I made the switch from testicular cancer patient to survivor. While I use survivor as a noun (mainly since it's a lot easier to say that than "I had cancer last year but now I am in remission"), I never say, "I survived cancer." The past tense is too final for me. Instead, l am surviving.
Surviving is...
Choosing to find the positive, even when you're not feeling it.
A big tenet in how I approached life before cancer was to maintain a positive mindset. I even hosted weekly meetings at school to share our great moments from our week. When I was given a cancer diagnosis, I decided to do the same. Nurse Jenn even noted it in a card she gave me at the end of chemo, writing, "You were handed a tough regimen, but you were always positive and even when vomiting, you were laughing and making a joke."
Becoming a survivor was a new and equally trying experience. Some days, I was really down in the dumps about how overwhelmed I was feeling about balancing going back to work and also understanding what I had just faced.
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