This is the fifth in a series of blog posts about my experiences as a cancer patient and survivor. Before we begin, I want to be clear that all opinions expressed here are my own. Nothing that I say in these posts should be taken as medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, you need to reach out to a licensed medical professional immediately.

Although I am a wordsmith at heart, this cancer experience has given me a whole new appreciation for numbers. They’re everywhere around me now, and I’m constantly paying attention to this number or that number. Here are just a few of the “numbers”.