“I was flooded with support, but also stories of ‘my aunt had it and she died’ or ‘my sister’s friend had it twice and she’s great now.’ I didn’t want the pink-washed version of cancer. I didn’t need you to tell me to write my kids goodbye letters. My story was different.”
‘Your cancer is aggressive.’ I replied, ‘Great, so am I.’ I was the youngest one in the oncology suite by 30 years.’: Breast cancer survivor celebrates three years cancer free, ‘I chose not to let fear define me’
‘I have good news and bad news.’ I was 29, the healthiest I’d ever been. How could this happen to me?’: Breast cancer warrior celebrates 5 years cancer-free, ‘I refuse to let it steal my joy’
“I was newly engaged, planning the beautiful merger of our lives and families. The sky was the limit! Then I felt something alarming at the top of my breast, something that didn’t belong.”
‘A bridesmaid brought a pair of angel wings as a tribute to Jessica. The wings flew off the table and left us speechless.’: Cancer survivor honors friend, ‘I think of her every single day’
“I finally came up with the PERFECT tattoo design to honor her beautiful life. 2 months later, my husband pointed to a spot on my breast and said, ‘Right there, that’s new.’”
‘We watched his hair fall out all over his hospital pillow. We watched as he screamed in pain. Each time, he showed his strength.’: 5-year-old cancer warrior goes into remission, ‘This is a new beginning’
“January 30, 2021, our warrior rang his bell after 1045 days of fighting cancer. Surrounded by family and friends, some old and some new, we watched as Milo enjoyed HIS day.”
‘She said the words I hoped to never hear again, ‘You have cancer.’ I know life isn’t fair, but 3 times? It felt downright cruel.’: Mom shares cancer journey, ‘While I’m changed, I’m still here’
“One night, I woke up crying in pain. ‘Please just cut my leg off!’ I lost my childhood, my innocence. Just as life started to feel normal, my scans weren’t coming back clear. There was something in my lung and no one knew what it was.”
‘Go have a good weekend because it’s not good news.’ Deep down, I was freaking out. I was so new to cancer.’: Woman beats breast cancer, welcomes 2 miracle babies, ‘I am a survivor’
“We were in the middle of wedding planning, living a fairy tale life. That was when I found my lump. ’We have bad news.’ My life was crumbling beneath my feet.”
‘I have a loving husband. My life is a fairytale. I should be smiling. I have no sob story to garner support.’: Mom suffering from depression gets real about mental health stigmas
“At 36 years old, my life is on the upswing. Who would have thought? I have no reason to cry.”
‘The nurse’s note he left behind said, ‘Brooke is my everything.’ Mr. Hudson didn’t have any family, so I gladly stepped up to be a daughter to him.’: Woman pays tribute to friend who died of cancer, ‘I will see him again’
“Around 3:30 p.m., Mr. Hudson went to be with his Lord and Savior. The nurses told me prior to his passing, he sang ‘Amazing Grace’ so loudly it echoed throughout the facility. He had been a little confused lately, but he knew every word. I’ve been crying all afternoon and evening.”
‘I was 11, hooked up to morphine. ‘If I get rid of my leg, I never have to go through this again?’ I had to make a decision.’: 11-year-old with Osteogenic Sarcoma voluntarily amputates leg
“I was told it was just ‘growing pains.’ I felt the pain with every bend of my knee. Hours later, I heard people crying around me about a ‘missing leg.’ I tried to open my eyes. The pain is still so vivid.”
‘Doctors told me it was ‘a blocked milk duct.’ It felt like a lemon seed under my skin, close to my areola, and hadn’t hurt at all.’: Woman with breast cancer stays positive, ‘I’ve got this. Everything will be okay.’
“My diagnosis came when I was a 48-year-old, post-menopausal woman with no biological children. I told myself, ‘I have to get my sh*t together quick!’ Things were progressing well until a few days after we moved into a new home. I was experiencing severe shortness of breath, which I’d mistakenly attributed to chemo side effects. Long story short, 840 gallons of propane leaked into our home. By the time the leak was discovered, my treatment plan had been modified.”
