National Cancer Survivor Day 2023
Today is National Cancer Survivor Day (the entire month is recognized as National Cancer Survivor Month). Today, marks 35 times I have seen this day since my fight with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma occurred back in 1988. Being a survivor of cancer, regardless of how long it has been, is no easy fete. The struggle to survive is both physical and emotional, and though remission is often reached, and the struggle seems to fade, it never completely goes away.
I often consider milestones or anniversary recognitions in regard to cancer, as bittersweet. To this day, 35 years later, cancer is still the number two leading cause of death, just 20% less than heart disease, and 33 % worse than deaths related to Covid according to the CDC (Center For Disease Control). Cancer has taken six of my relatives. I can no longer count how many friends and fellow survivors I have said goodbye to, either directly from cancer, or survivorship related issues, their bodies just unable to take any more of the trauma from long term side effects from their treatments. Bitter.
But the sweet part, a continued life I never thought I would have, mostly, a family. And here I am, less than two weeks away from seeing my youngest daughter graduate from high school. There is irony. She was named after my grandmother, a two-time cancer survivor, and will graduate on the same date as the day my grandmother passed from her second cancer, changing the mojo of that day from one of sadness, to one of joy. And I know my grandmother is looking down and watching all of this unfold.
Merriam-Webster defines “survivor” to “remain alive” or “continue to exist, function, or prosper.” When we think of surviving something, our first thoughts usually go to some sort of catastrophic event, such as an earthquake, plane crash, or cancer. When we think of surviving an event on that level, there is one stand-out characteristic that all of those events and more have in common – we do not volunteer for them. There is nothing or no one on standby to prepare for something horrible to happen, to reduce casualties or injuries.
Which is what really frustrates me about television shows that hype themselves with “survivor” as the theme, of course I am referring to “Survivor” and Bear Grylls new show “I Survived Bear Grylls.” While I do enjoy competition style television, one major peeve I have are shows that claim survivorship. Again, an actual trauma victim does not volunteer. If they survive, they have every right to call themselves a survivor. But competitors on television shows like this, are volunteer, actually auditioned for. These shows are not about survivorship other than being the last person standing, a matter of endurance and strength, oddly enough, two characteristics of most if not all cancer survivors. But again, the difference being, cancer survivors never volunteered to get cancer. There is no cash or prize award for beating cancer.
I think what triggered me on this, while flipping through channels, I came across Grylls’ new show. The competition at the moment, Grylls hyped up as “man’s worst fear – being buried alive”, the contestants being placed inside a container, made of snow, with more snow piled on top of it, to simulate being trapped in an avalanche. Now, to be clear, if this had happened, an actual avalanche, and you survived, you get to call yourself a survivor because you did not volunteer for that to happen. While I doubt being buried by an avalanche is man’s worst fear, again, cancer? Hello?, Grylls explained what needed to be done and how fast. In the real world, you would either live or die, but this is a set, granted a natural set, but with several crew there to assist, risks of fatality are kept to a minimum. Cancer patients don’t have that kind of protection or assurance.
So, if you really want to know what a cancer survivor is and actually looks like, take a look around. We are all over the place. Some have gotten to enjoy life, completely worry free and in remission, others like me, continue to deal with late effects from our treatments, but we are still surviving.
How about someone making a television show about real survivors?
Paul's Heart 
You are 100% correct. I would like to see a show about real survivors. Survivors of illness and trauma.
I am a beast cancer fighter currently (although not in active treatment). I do think I am in remission from that but I guess breast cancer fighters don’t consider themselves “cured” is what I’m learning and don’t often refer to themselves as survivors. I am going to call myself that for now though full knowing the next CT scan may change things.