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Patients
The stories and experiences in this category are written by people currently going through treatments for cancer. Read these stories to find inspiration and know that you are not alone in your experience with cancer.
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From Caretaker to Patient
Some people say things like, “It could have been worse,” but you feel as though enough is enough at times. As I hit rock bottom in my life, I often wonder: how did I make it out of that dark tunnel? Was a rope extended to me in my dreams for me to climb out one day without me remembering?
Read More...Advocating for your Body in the Bedroom
Suddenly, the body I once knew — the body that ran half marathons and excelled in dance classes and mastered a crow pose in yoga and tackled other bodies in rugby and sexually satisfied my husband and grew, birthed, and nursed two babies — was foreign to me in every sense of the word.
Read More...Dear Cancer, It’s Time For You To Go
Most importantly, every night I talk with God and am assured that this is not my time. Not today, cancer. I am comforted as my hands dance across each rosary bead.
Read More...Dear Cancer, You Defined What I Was Made Of
For weeks I did not want to accept you, acknowledge you or in all reality believe you had taken space in my life. But that wasn’t working. The more I pushed you away, cancer, the worse I got.
Read More...Dear Cancer, I Am Looking to the Future
Leave all of us alone. I beg you to leave all my amazing Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer friends alone. Go away forever and never come back.
Read More...Dear Pharmacist, Thank You
As my pharmacist, you have served repeatedly as a source of amazing knowledge, taking the time to explain and clarify any points of confusion I have, and offering various tips or tricks I might find helpful.
Read More...Dear Cancer, You Couldn’t Break Me
Never in a million years did I think I would be writing to you at only 23 years old. You are some people’s worst fear but you weren’t mine. I never even thought to put you on my list.
Read More...Dear Cancer, I Want to Feel Whole Again
When I had to get biopsies on my chest to determine if you were there, it was the hardest thing so far, and it broke my self-esteem and my ability to look at my body with confidence anymore. I have the scars on both of my breasts now, and every time I look at them I’m reminded of how you can hurt me.
Read More...Dear Cancer, You’ve Come Back
I cried to the universe. I yelled at the sky. I cursed the heavens. How could this be? Why was this happening? How would we make it through?
Read More...Dear Cancer: A Son’s Point of View
I remember when Mama’s phone started ringing. She went to the kitchen and started crying. Dada ran down the stairs and was holding Mama’s hand. I’ve never seen her cry like this before. I felt so scared. I didn’t know what was happening, so I just kept playing with my toys.
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