What are the Odds?

Well those who know me and those who read my blog know that I'm not a creative person. I'm not a writer in any sort of way. I have horrible grammar and can barely spell (unless its a medical word). Which is why I have a blog and am not writing a book. Well like most people who suck at English I am good at math. I like that math unlike the world is black or white. There is only one answer and its not really subject to interpretation. I only took one math class in college. I took it my firs semester and it was statistics. I would have loved to take more math classes but I didn't need anymore and as much as I loved the class I don't really feel the need to overachieve . Back to my stats class though.Its all about figuring out the odds.  So what are the stats on cervical cancer?

• In 2012, an estimated 12,170 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in U.S. women.⁵
  
• In 2012, an estimated 4,220 U.S. women will die from the disease.⁵

• Most women with cervical cancer are diagnosed before the age of 50; the median age is 48.³ However, older women remain at risk. More than 20% of new cases are diagnosed in women over 65. Cervical cancer in women younger than 20 is rare.⁵

• In the U.S., Hispanic women have the highest rate of cervical cancer, followed by African American, Caucasian, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian American/Pacific Islander women. Mortality rates are highest for African American women.⁶
  
   
• When detected at its earliest stage, cervical cancer has a 5-year relative survival rate of approximately 91%. For regional disease, it is nearly 57%. If the cancer has spread to distant organs, 5-year survival drops to approximately 16%. In general, the prognosis is affected by the extent of disease at the time of diagnosis.³

• In a recent study the two-year survival rate for recurrent cervical cancer was 18.5%. Median survival was 8 months (95%CI, 7-10 months).

When I look at these stats I can't help but ask myself what are my odds?
What were the chances when I was first diagnosed?
What were the chances of it spreading to my lymph nodes?
What were the chances of it coming back a second and now a third time?
What are the chances of it coming back if I'm able to beat it this time?
What are my chances of survival in 5 years, 2 years, or even a year?

According to the stats. The odds are not in my favor and this isn't a gamble that one would want to take? I have to remind myself though that I'm not a statistic. Those stats were not me and my situation. And for those who do like to gamble, I beat the odds all the time. I beat the odds the day I got diagnosed. At 25 the odds were in my favor that I would never get cancer. So then I ask myself more positive questions about odds that were not in my favor and I still managed to beat?
What are the odds of me being diagnosed?
What are the odds of the cancer coming back a second time and me beating it a second time?
What are the odds of me meeting the most amazing man and be able to call him my husband?
What are the odds of having such amazing supportive friends?
What are the odds that I would sit at home and miss the drunk and crazy patients at the hospital?
What are the odds of having friends that own a condo in Hawaii and them offering it to us free of stay? (Thank you so much Taylor family)
What are the odds that my mom would buy us our plane tickets to Hawaii? (OK those odds were really in my favor but I do appreciate all you do)
There still one odd that I would like to beat in my lifetime.
What are the odds of finding the cure?