Back to Dear Cancer

I Had Cancer Guidelines

We're all here for similar reasons - we've been touched by cancer in some way. It’s up to all of us to show each other that no one is alone. Your IHadCancer profile is your own place to call home during this crazy thing called cancer, we just ask that you keep these simple guidelines in mind when participating.

1. Always Be Nice. This is a place for connections and conversations – we encourage you all to talk openly but please remain considerate in all of your engagement. Don’t post obscene, hateful or objectionable content. Abuse and disrespect will not be tolerated in the IHC community and is subject to deletion and user removal at our discretion.

2. Be a Good Friend. The IHC community is a family. Please remember to be a good friend to the connections you make on IHC. Ask questions that you wish someone would ask you; if you can’t find the right words to say, send a hug, it can speak louder than words. A simple gesture goes a long way.

3. Don't Spam. This includes sending unsolicited messages of any nature, posting links to unrelated content, promoting a survey, fundraiser or product where it shouldn’t be promoted. If you aren’t sure if something is appropriate to post, e-mail us and we’ll let you know.

4. Think Before You Post. Everything you post on IHadCancer is secure, but it is up to you to monitor how much or how little information you are sharing about yourself and your experience. Please don’t share personal or identifiable information like your mailing address or your full name and don’t share other member’s information.

5. If You See Something, Say Something. We work hard to make sure these guidelines are followed closely but if you see something that doesn’t’ feel right to you, please let us know. We review every report we receive and will take anything you say to heart. We promise.

6. Be Open. Welcome newcomers and help guide them through this journey based on your own experience. Whether you are a survivor, fighter, caregiver or supporter, you have valuable information that can very well help someone else who is just beginning the cancer journey. Be open to sharing experiences and give someone else the gift of your time.

Thanks for being a part of our community. It’s up to all of us to ensure that IHadCancer remains a place for us all to call home when dealing with the ups and downs of a cancer diagnosis.

Neal-Klein's picture
Neal-Klein Connect

Caregiver: Pancreatic Cancer

Dear cancer, I am not sure I really I want to talk to you. You took my Emilee, Almost three months ago. Before that, you took my mom, with uterine cancer, 16 years ago. Emilee had pancreatic cancer. You really are a nasty F***. Yes I made that word into a noun just for you. And it really doesn't even do you justice. As a matter of fact, it is just wasted on you. I could try a mindfulness technique, and embrace you. I will have to work on that one, as the thought right now is making my skin crawl. There is some part of me, which I do my best not to acknowledge, that is scared of you. I took care of my wife for 21 months after diagnosis, and watched her body.....I watched her body, what is that word that starts with a "c", now I have to look it up.....cachectic...I watched her body become cachectic. I watched her wither. Her body withered, but her spirit....oh my god, she was so strong. She withstood chemo treatments to try to slow you down, so she could keep on living. Poisoned her body, to buy time. Precious, precious time. It worked for a while. She lived to see two new grandchildren. And two days before her last day she got to hold her one month old grandson, and 19 month old granddaughter. You extinguished her life in the end, but not her light. Her light was so much stronger than you. This was not a battle that you won. You see, you died when her body died. Emilee's light lives on in me, and I am spreading that light to the world. With every beat of my heart I share that pulse of life that I carry from her. I tell her story and share the beauty that she was and that radiated from her, and I reach out to connect with other souls who also carry torches of their loved ones. So you took a body, as you take many bodies, but you get no souls. You have no soul. I pity your repeated task of multiplying cells which results in your own death. I am starting to feel sorry for you because you are so pitifully clueless as to what life really is. It is not a runaway blob of diseased malfunctioning replicating tissue which cannot control itself. Life is the fighters, the survivors, the loved ones that carry scars from you but find meaning in living and spread the word that love goes on. Love is what sustains those with cancer, those who survive cancer and those that carry on when their loved ones vibrate to another plane of existence. Emilee's love lives on in all those she touched with her love, and in all the hearts they touch in turn. The "pebble in the water ripple effect". Circles expanding out from the center having far reaching impact. I don't want to be angry, I want to be compassionate and feel and spread love and joy.. I am not a violent person, But sometimes, I want to stomp cancer's brains out. That is okay, right? Just breathe....just breathe.
Apr 25 2017 1:41am |
| Report

Comments

The views and opinions expressed by members of the site are those of the author and do not represent those of IHadCancer.
IHadCancer.com is not meant to treat, diagnose, or be a substitute for medical advice. Seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider regarding your health. Content and images may not be reproduced or distributed, unless explicit permission has been provded in writing by I Had Cancer, LLC. For more information read our Terms and Conditions.

© 2024 I Had Cancer

Top