Dear Cancer
Each year we ask the AYA cancer community to submit letters to cancer to express their feelings about how cancer has changed their lives. People explore an array of emotions in these letters, including anger, sadness, gratitude, and hope.
Want to submit an article or write your own letter to cancer? Click Here.
Dear Cancer, There is Life After You
Why cancer, why did you come into my life, why did you break my heart, why did you take my family away from me? What did I do to deserve this? Do you hate me that much? Cancer became my number one enemy. I wish researchers can come up with a one cure for all, but a girl can dream, right. How do you heal a broken heart? Can you really stop all my tears shed every night? Is it your life’s vision to wipe out the world’s population?
Read More...Dear Cancer, Stop Taking Things from Me
Dear Cancer, All you have done is take things from me. You’ve taken my mother and brother. I knew you would come after me eventually. The symptoms had already started when you got one of my favorite aunts. Did you have to take my grown niece too? After I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma you tried to beat me down some more by making me watch several friends die of cancer. None of your tricks worked. You are an idiot. You are nothing but a piece of low-life, scumbag, son of a you know what.
Read More...Dear Cancer, Your Pain Made Me Stronger
Now I’ve written a book about my battle with you, so others will have the courage to fight you too. You might have thought you were powerful, but my faith was more powerful than you. I trusted my doctors, and I trusted God; together, you were defeated. You tried to destroy me, but in the end, you only made me stronger.
Read More...Dear Cancer, It’s Been Complicated
Dear Cancer, It’s been complicated. I’m sure a lot of people would like to know how we met. Were we introduced by family (genetics), online dating (Google searching my symptoms), restaurant, or bar (bad eating/too much drinking)?
Read More...Dear Cancer, I Will Not Thank You, Ever
A Poem to cancer from the Steven G. Cancer Foundation and Elephants and Tea President.
Read More...Dear Cancer, I Can Handle Anything Because of You
Well, in 2017, I thought life was good. There was so much to look forward to. But Cancer, you chose to show your ugly and repulsive face, at a time when everything in my life was how it should be.
Read More...Dear Cancer, F You and Thank You
Fuck you for making me hear one of the most painful news one can bear: “You have incurable cancer”. Fuck you for making me go through the whole painstaking process of dealing with this condition, from denial to grieve to acceptance, and the dreadful memories that come along with it.
Read More...We Beat Cancer
I beat you. You tried kicking me down multiple times, but I beat you… my husband beat you, my kids beat you, my family beat you, my friends beat you.
Read More...Broken But Not Defeated
Dear Cancer, Why did you break my ankle? Yeah, I see you pointing your finger at other possible sources for my injury. Perhaps you think the UNO cards I slipped on as I was rushing into my son’s bedroom are the logical culprit. I hear your snarky remarks, “maybe if you made your son clean […]
Read More...The Devastation Is Unforgivable
Finding out about you was one of the two worst days of my life. My mind went into panic as I had lost my dad to you just seven months before and my father in law was told about you invading him just a mere six days before I heard the words.
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