15 Life-Altering Moments In The Lives Of Cancer Survivors That Will Give You A New Perspective On The World
The battle with cancer can feel hopeless. For many, even just getting the diagnosis can feel like the scariest moment in life. For people dealing with cancer at any stage, from diagnosis to chemo to just supporting a loved one, stories from others who have experienced cancer can help. So, I decided to ask cancer survivors in our BuzzFeed Community to share moments in their stories they felt affected them the most. Here are their responses:
1."I found out I had cancer while I was 35 weeks pregnant. I had visited my doctor 6 times about hard lumps in my neck. He dismissed my concerns every time and blamed my massive lumps on being pregnant."
"I finally asked my OB and she had to contact my doctor to get me a biopsy. One year after my initial symptoms, I found out I had stage three lymphoma. I got an early c-section so I could start chemo. I had large lumps in my neck that prevented me from moving normally, [as well as lumps on] my chest, my armpit, and my spleen. I was in chemo for six months — the first six months of my baby’s life, and the last summer before my older child went to school.
I’ve been in remission for almost 18 months. I see my oncologist every three months. It feels impossible sometimes to move on like I should be happy and relieved to be cancer-free. However, I still feel like it could come back at any moment. People applaud you for being strong and fighting but I don’t feel proud or heroic. I often feel nervous and alone."
2."I had lymphoblastic lymphoma (similar to leukemia) when I was a junior in high school. I received 733 days of chemotherapy, which meant that it wasn’t feasible for me to go to my dream college 12 hours away from my treatment. I ended up going to my state university."
"While part of me wonders what it would have been like to go to my dream school, I am happy with what that university did for me. I studied abroad twice, worked at Disney, met my husband, adopted my puppy, and got to be my mom’s caretaker before she passed away right before my last semester of college.
I know I will forever have a weaker body from all the medicines, but for me, the hardest struggle has been the anxiety and fear that are constantly consuming my mind. I’m so scared [the] people I love or [I] myself might get cancer (again).
The toll of it isn’t exhausting. I tell my husband that I will most likely die before him. I don’t know if he doesn’t believe it is true or doesn’t want to, but it hasn’t made me as scared of death anymore. It has helped me ensure that I spend my life the way I want to. So in a way, I’m oddly thankful for it for opening my eyes."
3."July 4th, 2022, the day I will never forget. After a minor operation, I was told I had cancer on my pancreas."
"As [it] was caught early they told me surgery will be an option, but first chemo to shrink the tumor, nine months. [I had] a 12-hour surgical procedure that removed my pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, and left kidney. I’m now a type 1 diabetic, but I’m still here."
4."I felt fine. Nothing wrong. We went out to dinner at a restaurant that was famous for its salads. Of course, I had one; [and then] I woke up in the middle of the night to pee, got up to wipe, looked down, and the toilet bowl was filled with blood."
"I was bleeding from my rectum and it was pouring out. My husband rushed me to the ER where I had a colonoscopy and within 12 hours I was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 54.
I had over a foot of my colon removed with surgery and then had blood clots. I waited for the results about chemotherapy. I was lucky that I didn’t need chemo, but every year I still need scans and tests to keep on top of it. My doctor said that the salad saved my life, as colon cancer can go undetected for years.
He then told my children to get tested every five years from the age of 40 because colon cancer is hereditary. My grandad had it. I don’t think about myself as a survivor because I had it easy. One operation and done. My brother-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer last year and he went through so much more. My heart goes out to everyone who has to go through the whole ordeal."
5."I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 35. I had a bilateral mastectomy, chemo, reconstruction (twice), and a hysterectomy. So many people called me a 'survivor' and celebrated when I was 'done.'"
"What I wish more people knew is you are never 'done.' You will always check the box at the doctor’s saying you had cancer, you’ll have follow-ups, you will look at your body and see the scars. Cancer can lead to PTSD. You don’t have to be ashamed or hide it. I wish more people would understand that cancer imprints on your life permanently and is beyond the physical. The best thing someone can do is acknowledge that being done with treatment doesn’t mean you are 'done.'"
—Anonymous
6."My son was diagnosed with Burkett Lymphoma at the age of 6. He spent the better part of seven months in the hospital fighting. Burkett Lymphoma is the most aggressive type of cancer; it can double in size in less than 12 hours. He had it in his stomach... when he woke up that morning he looked like he always had, and by 1 p.m. he looked 8 months pregnant."
"Within 24 hours of getting to the hospital they had it diagnosed, a port put in, and chemotherapy started. It was awful. Because it’s so aggressive, the treatment is equally aggressive, Making the decision to pump lethal drugs into my 6-year-old was horrible, but there was no alternative…
I’m happy to say that after seven months of intense treatment, he was cancer-free. He’s now 13 and a healthy teenager, active in sports, and a straight-A student. We are incredibly lucky; we met so many families [who] were not. On the night he started chemo we came up with a saying, and we would say it together every time things got tough: 'I can do it. I can fight it. I am stronger.' He was stronger and he beat it!!!"
—Anonymous, Philadelphia, PA.
7."I noticed a small skin lesion on my foot about eight years ago when I was 28. I was initially told it was ringworm, then eczema, then a side effect of medication. Over the next eight years, my skin got worse and worse and a horrible rash spread all over my body."
"My hair fell out, [and] I was always sick with chronic UTIs, sinus infections, exhaustion, chills, and upper respiratory infections. I upended my life changing every product in my house to natural products and was given dozens of steroid creams and medications that didn’t help.
I went to multiple allergists, gynecologists, dermatologists, urologists, endocrinologists, and homeopaths and was in and out of urgent care constantly. Sometimes a treatment would work temporarily, but it always came back. I stopped dating completely and watched all of my friends get married and start families.
After a few years, I knew in my gut something was seriously wrong but I couldn’t pinpoint it and I was seeing some of the best doctors in my city. The worst part was almost none of my doctors believed my symptoms were related. One urologist accused me of lying about the severity and frequency of my UTIs and sent me home with no medication."
Continued: "I had multiple biopsies over the years that came back as dermatitis. Finally, I was recommended to a dermatologist who tested me for a very rare cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. It is slow-growing and I was told the average time it takes to get diagnosed is six or seven years. I was so relieved to have a diagnosis, even if it was cancer. Not knowing [for] all those years was so much worse."
"I was encouraged to freeze my eggs before I began treatment and I am so lucky I caught it before it was too late. But cancer has taken away a lot of my youth, beauty, energy and money. It is very expensive to be sick. I didn’t pursue the career I wanted because I was exhausted. I also worry I’ve missed out on having a family, which is what I’ve always wanted most. We’ll see what the future holds.
I also want to add: to anyone who is sick and can’t find the answers, do not give up. Keep fighting and pushing for answers. No one knows your body better than you do and no one will advocate for you as strongly as you can. Also, my friends and family kept me sane. I am so grateful for them. My best friend got on a train to come see me after I was diagnosed when she was eight and a half months pregnant."
8."I am a childhood leukemia survivor. My mom's first cousin has always been a grandmother-like figure in my life. A couple weeks after my diagnosis, she came over to cook chicken soup from scratch."
"She has multiple sclerosis, so the fact that she went to so much trouble to come over and cook has always held a special place in my heart. The soup tasted awful — it had to be totally sodium-free because I'd just started steroids, which make you retain water — but I'll never forget the love I felt from her gesture."
9."I am 78 years old and at the age of 70, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Positive by nature and diligent with testing from age 50, after two biopsies, the word 'cancer' set me spinning."
"I did research and was lucky to catch it early. The month of radiation left me tired, and I found marijuana use helped with [my] attitude and appetite. I trusted my oncologist and completed my cycle, staying positive and sharing prayer with my family.
I am cured and am lucky. All men should get a PSA test with their yearly medical. It will save your life! My survival brought me closer to my friends and family. It also brought a new ethos, allowing me to really look [at], really feel, life and love. Each moment is a precious gift to laugh at, learn from, and share. Men should not hide their illness but face it, and trust medicine, faith, and [their] will to overcome."
—Brian Sweezey
10."I'll never forget when I answered the phone at work, when my doctor called and asked if it was a good time to talk. My heart immediately started pounding and my stomach sank. The words 'You have breast cancer' came out of her mouth and I immediately burst into tears."
"It couldn't be cancer, I was only 30 years old. I was too young to get cancer. A month before that phone call, I had noticed a pea-sized lump in my right breast. It was barely noticeable and I questioned if I was even feeling anything, again thinking I was too young to get cancer.
I decided to talk to my doctor about it. At my appointment, she brushed me off and said it was from my anxiety and prescribed me some anxiety medication.
Later I told my mom about the lump and she felt the area and was very concerned. She really pushed me to get a second opinion. Thank God she did because I went to my gynecologist and she examined my breast and decided to do an ultrasound. The lump didn't look right with the ultrasound so they did a biopsy. Which then led to the scariest phone call of my life: having a positive cancer diagnosis. I've been cancer-free for four years now. I guess my main point about my story is, if something about your body doesn't seem right, and your doctor doesn't take it seriously, never, ever be afraid to get a second opinion. It literally could save your life."
11."I was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 40. I thought I had a hernia due to the amount of physical labor I was doing the last few years. My left one was the size of an orange and was interfering with walking. As soon as I saw my doctor's face I knew it wasn’t good!"
"A few tests and the next thing I knew I was down to one…it didn’t really hit me until we met with the oncologist and was given my chemo treatment plan... It was a roller coaster ride from there. A lot of vomit. A lot of sleeping.
I could not have done it without my wife!!! She carried me and our daughter through the toughest time of my life. She worked full-time and always made sure we were taken care of. It has been approximately seven years since being in remission, and not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for her!"
—Anonymous
12."I learned I had a cancer mass on my kidney the morning my husband died of skin cancer. My daughter found a lump in her breast around the same time; she died after five years. I am okay, after losing part of [my] right kidney; I didn’t wait to have surgery. I am learning how to live alone."
—Anonymous
13."Went in for a routine mammogram on a Monday, [was] told to come back the next day for a biopsy, found out the next day I had breast cancer."
"On Friday I met with my amazing surgeon, who was able to tell me on Saturday that my cancer was '100% curable.'
I ended up choosing to have a mastectomy and having my breast reconstructed using my own abdominal fat, so I got a bonus tummy tuck. Long story short, I wouldn’t wish this diagnosis on anyone, but with a good team in place things can work out okay. I also got super lucky!"
—Anonymous
14."I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 34. My family and I were (naturally) stunned. I was single, going to school, and working full time. What got me through the chemotherapy, hair loss, and 6 weeks of radiation was that I was just pissed off."
"I had so much support and love shown to me, but I was still angry at this stupid, life-altering illness. I remember it was Christmas time and I couldn’t walk up the stairs in my house because I was so weak from chemo. I stopped at every step and said 'I won’t let this beat me.' And it didn’t. It will be 20 years in October."
—Anonymous
15.And finally: "May 15th, 2005 was a rough day! After some very routine bloodwork the day before, a doctor called me in a major panic at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night, asking bizarre questions like 'Are you bleeding right now?' or, 'I hope you're not going to be playing any sports that are going to cause bruising or bleeding.'"
"In a very difficult conversation, he said my white blood cell count was high, like way too high, like 20 times too high. [He said,] 'I think it's leukemia,' and those words are frozen in my mind. Late-stage leukemia, and I was in real trouble!
Difficult days followed, and for the next 18 years they put me on a daily chemotherapy miracle pill called Gleevec, brand new and experimental in 2005. Fast forward 2 decades: they learned that if my leukemia cell counts had been really low for several years, they could take us (patients) off the chemo pill and 50% of us [would] never have to go back on it.
So that's where I am today! I should have been dead 18 years ago and here I am, still alive, and THEY CURED CANCER WITH A PILL!!! Today I am one of the world's longest leukemia survivors and I owe every cancer doctor and researcher a big sloppy kiss for curing me!!!"
—Anonymous
There are some very heavy, and some hopeful, stories here! Hopefully, for some people, this was a bit therapeutic. If you need to vent or want to share your own story, please feel free to do so down below (or, if you like, through this anonymous Google Form).
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
