The Crossroads of Cancer Survivorship

We are always faced with choices on this cancer journey. Even if you end up making a wrong turn, there is always a way to get back on track.

BY DANA STEWART

PUBLISHED AUGUST 01, 2018

Dana Stewart was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 32. She is the co-founder of a cancer survivorship organization called The Dragonfly Angel Society. She volunteers as an advocate and mentor, focusing on young adults surviving cancer. She enjoys writing about life as a cancer survivor, as well as connecting survivors to the resources, inspirations and stories that have helped her continue to live her best life, available at www.dragonflyangelsociety.com.

Crossroads along the cancer journey are a constant in my opinion. You meet the first one on the day of diagnosis. At that moment, you are on a path that has two options: you fight and take on the treatment options presented to you by your medical teams, or you run, wishing the diagnosis never graced you with its presence. I like to think all of us have taken the first road, whether we want to or not. There are many more crossroads within, such as which path of treatment options, what attitude are you going to take, etc. Maybe you don't think of each decision as a crossroad, but I certainly do. There are constant forks in my path and it's up to me to choose the way.

With that being said, I think one of the biggest crossroads comes when it is time to face survivorship. I thought this was the easy part of the cancer journey. I couldn't wait to call myself a survivor. For me, that was when I finished treatment. Everyone has their own view of when or if to call themselves a survivor. That's a whole topic on its own which I won't even tackle. The good news is that you are survivor whenever you decide to be one. For some, that is as soon as they hear the diagnosis, and for others it may be never. All that is just fine.

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