Today was the day I finally had my first post-radiation doctor's appointment, and let me tell you, it felt like the grand finale of a dramatic medical drama. Cue the suspenseful music! After all, I'm a bona fide cancer survivor now, and who doesn't love a good survivor-turned-superstar story?
"Congratulations," the doctor says with a grin that could rival a Cheshire cat's. "You're officially a cancer survivor now!" I half expected confetti to rain down from the ceiling and a marching band to burst through the door, but alas, it was just me and the doc.
According to the all-knowing Dr. Google a bit of cancer survivor statistics:
Apparently, as of January 2022, there are a whopping 18.1 million cancer survivors in the United States, which is approximately 5.4% of the population
So officially I am in remission and if all signs and symptoms of cancer vanish into thin air, doctors might start throwing around words like "cured" after you've been symptom-free for five years. So starting the count down...
So there you have it — today's appointment was the grand finale of my cancer saga, and an much expected happy ending.