Expiration Date? Hell No

Expiration Date

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I was thrown into a whirlwind of statistics. What type of tumor I had, whether or not I was lymph node positive. All of these pieces where invaluable when determining the characteristics of my cancer and making treatment decisions.  Medical professionals and the different cancer societies have compiled statistical data on all cancers based on treatment protocols that can give you an estimate for your chances of survival. Wow, a mathematical formula that can guess my life span. I dove into the world of statistics looking for answers. While treading water, I found that the statistics were useful in determining the best course of action for my treatment, however, I found the term “survival rate” to be cement shoes during the swim.

There are actual software programs that exist in which you can plug in your cancer statistics and based on your treatment protocols and nature of your cancer you can see what your chances of survival are in year increments. I chose not to input my statistics. I thought why should I live my life knowing that a computer with a lightning fast processor just coughed up a statistical curve that determined my life expectancy. Maybe it would be easier if we were all be born with an expiration date on our ass. I think I will just live life playing God’s rules instead.