Cancer survivors know what a cancerversary is, but there are differences in opinion about what day it should mark. Should it be the day you found reason to worry (found a lump, had an abnormal test result)? The day you were diagnosed? The day you started treatment? The day you first had a clear scan?

I tie it in with my definition of a survivor: You become a survivor when you look cancer in the face and decide to live.

Five years ago today, I did just that. I got the phone call that confirmed that I had breast cancer, and I started to rally my strength – though there wasn’t a lot of it right then – and prepare to fight for my life.

The five year cancerversary is particularly significant to cancer survivors. You see, prognosis is figured by rates of recurrence within two years, five years, and ten years; an oncologist typically gives a five year prognosis. Mine was that I had a 25% chance of recurrence in five years.

And here I am, cancer free still, five years later.

Anyone affected by cancer, whether they are newly diagnosed, in treatment, a caregiver, a family member or even a doctor can find something to gain from my raw account of my cancer treatment. I usually don’t put Silver Linings (link goes to product page) on sale, because I want to raise as much money for Young Survival as possible – it’s an inexpensive purchase for a very good cause – but this month all my works are on sale at Smashwords, 50% off. To learn more about Silver Linings click here.

I feel blessed that my life wasn’t stolen from me. I live in joy every day, even if some things are difficult. Every day is a gift.