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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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The Girl Who’s Always Smiling
This whole experience taught me to be my own best friend. To understand my own needs because nobody can. To comfort myself and that there is nothing wrong in that. To listen to my body and to create my thoughts rather than have my thoughts control me.
Read More...I Am Not Your Cute Subplot: Cancer in Media
Next time, give me a cancer character who is too exhausted from their chemo to do the dishes so they take their pills with a coffee mug. Give me a cancer character whose chemo fog causes them to forget to text their roommate to get toilet paper at the store and the moment they realize it they cuss. Give me a cancer character who hates taking the dog out because every time a neighbor stops to ask them how they’re doing, even though they just spoke to each other yesterday, so why would it have changed? Give me a cancer character who is annoyed at all of the people they’ve ever known on Facebook posting on their wall about how bad they feel for them.
Read More...Whispers from the Ghost of Vlad
I wanted to let you know that I’m not okay with you being here, but it’s fine. The world I knew is gone now, and I can’t get rid of you. I don’t even really want to. You’ve changed me, and you’re part of me forever. I don’t want to be complacent, and I don’t want to go back. You remind me to look around and really see what’s there.
Read More...Picture Perfect is Overrated
I’ve realized that things are never going to be picture perfect. Some days that I thought would be not a big deal meant the world to me. And other days that I put so much into, were underwhelming. I can’t control what the outcome of anything is going to look like, and I’m learning to be okay with that.
Read More...Studying Resilience Among AYAs
Mental health matters. Mental health impact of cancer can be bigger than the physical aspect of it. Mental health aspect of cancer needs to stop being a taboo.
Read More...Crocs and Socks: Bringing Hope Through Treatment
I stood in front of my dresser with the top middle drawer sitting open, filled with multicolored socks galore, pulling them out one by one. Trying to find pairs and match them, I was reorganizing for the first time in a long time.
Read More...Because I Can
I was in Paris when my dad called to confirm that I had cancer. I had just accepted a position in Afghanistan with a French NGO and was in training. I thought about flying to Afghanistan anyway. The position was only for six months. I could treat it after. No one knew I had cancer.
Read More...Masking It
Recently, I’ve seen numerous people talk about how difficult it is to wear a mask. “It’s too hot.” “I can’t breathe in it.” “It makes me feel claustrophobic.” I’ve had several people ask me how I can possibly stand wearing one all day at work.
Read More...Climbing the Mountain
I felt like I was walking on clouds…and surprisingly, that’s not as pleasant as it sounds. It’s almost like there was a disconnect between my feet and the ground.
Read More...It’s OK Not to Be OK
It’s OK to struggle. This quarantine time is so hard. I find each day a battle to get out of bed, and lack motivation to start my day, especially when I don’t even know what day it is!
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