I think we need more context.

A Mr quimby wrote this metaphysical piece of literature in 1862:

"Motion creates friction; friction creates action, action heat, heat expansion till the icy band of superstition breaks like ice and the soul or truth rises into the element of heat."
http://www.ppquimby.com/articles/why_do_i_not_cure_all_with_...

The author plays with heat and cold as elements of light/dark, superstition/truth.

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-11-23 10:33:42 GMT)
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Thanks for the link. It seems that the author is referring to P. Parkhurst Quimby, an 19th century alternative doctor. She paraphrases him and perhaps makes fun of it. Quimby's writings are speculative and spiritual, and this alternative approach to medicine is a topic of the excerpt.

What Quimby is saying in an elaborate metaphore is that patients are cured by him if they believe strong enough that they can be cured. This as an explanation why some of his patients are cured, and others not.

So when a person overcomes fear, superstition and the "cold" element and he/she is warmed by Truth, he/she can be cured.

What your author is saying, is that she and other survivors don't wait for medicine to declare them free from cancer before resuming life and be happy (celebrate). They have a positive attitude all the way.

I will try some new answers:
"We wachten niet op de (chemische) lente ..."
"We wachten niet tot de nucleaire winter voorbij is, ..."

if you don't want to play with undergoing chemo therapy, perhaps

"We wachten niet op het einde van de ijstijd ..."

:-)

of 'tot de weg helemaal vrij is'. Er zijn misschien andere/betere uitdrukkingen voor, maar dit is wat ermee bedoeld wordt.
(Dit nadat ik deze week op een 'icy patch' gevallen ben).