In the last three months, the I Had Cancer team has observed something amazing, something that has truly moved us. We have observed you. From our first users and earnest individuals who’s testimonies you’ve seen on our YouTube page - yes we have one, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/user/ihadcancer - to the people joining us now, the power of your honest and real communication is incredible.

Since we are dealing with cancer here, we understand that talking about this disease and it’s effect on your life is difficult regardless of what type of user you are. Still, many of you have put yourselves out there and revealed something personal about your experiences with cancer. Communication is defined as an “activity by one organism that changes or has the potential to change the behaviors of other organisms”. You let others into your hearts and by doing just that you have impacted and/or warmed theirs. Indeed, you have the power to positively influence and change other people.

One of the more interesting things that we have seen since I Had Cancer launched is that people’s reactions to making connections have been remarkably emotional and rewarding. The blurbs and Journals that you create here are gateways to long lasting and impactfull friendships that immeasurably help those involved. We have seen the comments of users who made connections, they show so much gratitude and appreciation that we are simply blown away.

The stronger your support network is, the less isolation you’ll ultimately experience. The more experienced your support network is with this disease, the more informed and prepared you’ll be  to deal with cancer. Needless to say, the more prepared you are the better the odds of beating cancer become. Altruism is defined as “the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (opposed to egoism). These connections are a product of your altruism.

We have been awed and inspired by the connections that so many of you have made over such a short period of time. We have read letters, posts, emails and messages from across all of our social media platforms and we have only one thing to say. Thank You.

Often fighters, survivors and especially supporters have limited access to a platform where they can all come together, put out information, receive it and easily discuss it with others also deeply affected by the issues. That is, until now.

I Had Cancer is a multi-functional, all - inclusive social network that offers a unique user experience. When signing up for I Had Cancer, you gain immediate access to the community. If you’re looking for someone specific use the Community Search tab. You can also browse organically or by utilizing the different filters provided. Search the community by age, gender, cancer type, type of user, year of diagnosis, and location. You may have noticed the map now includes international locations. Zoom into an area to see the I Had Cancer users there.

Once you find someone you want to connect with, click on their picture, it will bring you to their profile page. Please be patient with those who did not fill out their profile information. Cancer is not an easy subject to discuss - users are free to share as much or as little information as they want. If you would like to know more about them, send a friend request. Once accepted you can message, access the Journal, Resources/Treatment info, as well as their Events and Circle News.

Check out our Discussions. We have created a list of categories that show you what topics are being discussed. If you don’t see a conversation of interest to you, create it! If you have something to say to cancer itself, check out Dear Cancer. It is probably our users most favored feature. You do not have to be nice when addressing cancer on our soap box platform. Unleash what ever you’ve been holding in. Let’s face it, cancer wasn’t kind to you and you certainly do not have to be kind to it.

Finally, visit our About page. You can read about how and why I Had Cancer was created from the founders perspectives. Check out statistical and social reasons as to Why Join(ing) our movement is beneficial and look over our FAQ’s. We created I Had Cancer for anyone and everyone touched by cancer. We created it for you.

Because - You are not alone.

What do the words “I Had Cancer” mean to our team? Sometimes they mean that someone was diagnosed with cancer, fought for their life and probably experienced intense fear. More often these words mean that someone has likely learned how amazing life really is, discovered the true meaning of kindness, and started living to the fullest everyday. But perhaps most often, “I Had Cancer” is a mantra for recovery, a point of hope at the end of a very difficult journey that no one should have to take. The latter is the very reason IHadCancer.com came into being.

For a while, the team here wondered if naming a social support network for supporters, fighters and survivors of cancer - I Had Cancer - logical. What would fighters take away from the title, how would supporters understand it? And then we got to thinking.

If your spouse, parent or child is diagnosed with cancer, is cancer not immediately present in your life? If your best friend tells you that they are fighting for their life, are you still unaffected by this disease? The team at I Had Cancer believes you are. We stand behind this name because everyone on the team has had someone in our lives tell us this news as we suddenly realized, cancer has touched us. We welcome everyone who has been touched by cancer to our site and hope that what you find here will help you on your way to recovery both physical and mental.