- Sorry, (sniffs) I don't talk about it.
- There's language that's used like "survivor,"
that is made and is used to make people feel comfortable.
But, the people who are actually going through chemo
and dealing with radiation and losing limbs,
losing loved ones, losing friends,
that's what cancer is about.
- My doctor said, "You have cancer."
I thought about my homework first.
Oh, I'm gonna die, and I'm not gonna finish my homework.
- I noticed a little lump growing out of my chest,
and after I got the results from my biopsy,
it was confirmed that I had Hodgkin's lymphoma.
- It was breast cancer in my right breast and my
axillary lymph node, which is kind of the armpit area.
- My mom was on the phone with the doctor.
She said, "It can't be cancer."
- I found out I had testicular cancer
just like, a week after I turned 30.
- I had a very large tumor in my colon, and unfortunately,
about 11 other tumors in my liver.
- They told me if I didn't do anything about it,
I would be dead in a month.
I thought, "Well, this is pretty fucking inconvenient."
- I just left the building, ordered a Fatburger
with an egg on top, and ate it
- I was so pissed that that had happened to me.
And I was angry.
- When the doctors had to come in and talk
and have like, a real discussion, it was to 12-year-old.
- Losing my hair was really hard on me.
That almost worried me more than
the idea of going through chemo.
- I wasn't really addressing any of my problem.
Three months after chemo,
I had a pretty disgusting meltdown.
- My mom just started a career, she had to quit her job.
My dad had to take on more responsibility.
- It's a me a while to even let my family
know that I had cancer and I was sugarcoating it.
- My mom had crammed herself in the hospital room,
and she stayed with me for 48 hours.
I really realized at that moment that
my life was gonna be so different.
- I had this amazing partner who was
there for me the whole time.
Sorry.
It was probably harder for him watching me go through it.
- They think and they know that you're going through
something so challenging, they keep their problems at bay.
Where when you're going through something like cancer,
sometimes you just want to get out of your own head
and hear somebody else's problems.
- Some kids, they would tell me that,
"My mom doesn't let me go visit you
"at the hospital because she thinks I might get sick."
- When they find out you have cancer,
it's to tell you about the person they know
that has had cancer and died, which is the last thing
you want to hear when you're in chemo.
- There was other people that sort of withdrew,
and that was really hard for me.
- They're not so much afraid of you, you know?
In fact, often times, they want to take selfies with you
so that they can get lots of "Likes" from their friends
about supporting their cancer friend.
- If you know somebody that has cancer,
go visit them, go hang out with them.
- The people were changing around me.
It wasn't until I ran into a dear friend,
I walked into her office and she goes,
"Oh, my God, this is the best diet you've ever been on."
We just cracked up.
We just lost our minds and laughed
and made cancer jokes for the rest of the day.
Ever since then, that is what got me through it.
- I would say the mindset you're in is
the biggest weapon you have when you're fighting cancer.
- Even if it were the tiniest things,
like I didn't vomit this morning,
or I was able to go outside today and go on an errand.
- I would tell anyone that's going through
any sort of surgery or chemo or radiation,
you've gotta find the things you love,
and hold onto those for the days you're
going through your interventions or your procedures.
- I read a lot, I read a lot of Joan Didion.
She's always good for a downer.
It's okay to be sad.
- To laugh, try to find things that bring you
joy and bliss make you smile.
We're all survivors.
Everybody who walks a day on this planet is a survivor.
- When everything is taken from you,
you really do start to appreciate the tiniest things.
- Live that moment, like if you're able to
wake up a little bit or walk a little bit, go walk.
Just take advantage of what you're able to do.
- There are so many support groups.
There's amazing online support,
if you want to stay anonymous.
But, if you can find a support system,
whether it's your friends or your family or a loved one,
that is probably one of the best things you can do
to help yourself in this process.