I Had Cancer

04/26/2026

At the time of my diagnosis, I was a young 25-year-old woman who took extreme care of my body and was HPV negative. I fell into the category of the 25% of tongue cancer patients who have absolutely no idea what could have caused it.

Having tongue cancer completely altered my world and physical appearance. I had surgery to remove half of my tongue, reconstructed the removed tongue section, had a full neck dissection, and completed 30 rounds of radiation. After all these surgeries and treatments, I had to re-teach myself how to speak, eat, and swallow.

Meet Tyra Langille, a young adult tongue cancer survivor.

04/03/2026

"This Too Shall Pass." It’s crazy to think that four little words can mean so much, but after an almost 10-year journey with cancer, these words have given me so much peace, comfort, and encouragement. They are now my life's mantra. Whatever I am going through today, whatever tomorrow may bring, I know that this too shall pass.

My doctor came to see me and delivered the news. I had advanced Endometrial Uterine Cancer, Stage IV.

04/02/2026

Just when I felt I’d reclaimed my confidence again, a new set of goodbyes came at me in the form of a cancer diagnosis. After the burnout nightmare, the last thing I expected to have to add to my story reel was a cancer diagnosis. But that’s what happened.

The cancer was in my esophagus, so I had an esophagectomy.

01/29/2026

I Know What It Means

Cancer.
I know what that word means.
When you live
knowing this thing
inside of you
has caused so much
pain
it’s hard to forget.

I know what it means to be scared,
To tremble at night,
Dreading test results and bad news.
Ignorance is not bliss,
Not when the other option tells a story
Of sleepless nights and nightless stays, all bleeding into
one.
When a simple scan can spell disaster for
your future,
your plans,
your hopes,
your body,
Uprooting everything to hurt.

Mercy Haub, a 16-year-old lymphoma patient, wrote this poem Cancer. I know what that word means.

01/28/2026

Since my womb cancer diagnosis in March 2019, I have been a member of the cancer club. It is a club nobody wants to be a part of and I would gladly hand back my membership, but that is not possible. Once you have been diagnosed, you are a lifetime member. Even after the all clear, the fear of IT coming back lingers especially when you have inherited faulty genetics that puts you on a higher risk factor.

Within a few short months, that frankly passed in a total blur, I was not only diagnosed with stage 3C2 womb cancer but also learnt I had Lynch syndrome. Lynch syndrome increases the carrier’s risk of certain cancers, including womb and colorectal cancers. It is an inherited genetic mutation and often families with the syndrome have a history of above mentioned cancers.

Since my womb cancer diagnosis in March 2019, I have been a member of the cancer club.

01/26/2026

Meet Kim Vandermeer, a Korean-American model and Stage II breast cancer survivor. Learn her story and how she continues to advocate for others in the breast cancer community.

"After remission, I struggled with being “cancer-free.” I didn’t feel joyful or like celebrating. Even as I’ve reached a year of being cancer-free, I still struggle with feeling gratitude. Two things can be true at the same time: I’m still grieving, and this year has been a grieving process where I’m struggling between “getting over” the grief and trying to feel grateful that I’m cancer-free. When I look back at photos of my time in active treatment, I realize that I went through so much. I’m still processing everything my body went through last year, and I can’t believe that I did all of that."

Meet Kim Vandermeer, a Korean-American model and Stage II breast cancer survivor.

12/30/2025

Facing a new year in the cancer community can bring emotions ranging from celebration, to grief, to hopefulness. What are some of your resolutions for 2026?

IHadCancer's free 2026 Cancer Awareness Calendar is available! Sign up for our newsletter (link in comments) to download. If you are already a subscriber, keep an eye on your inbox later this week.

#2026

10/29/2025

Meet Lilly Ribner, a Stage I Triple-Negative Breast Cancer survivor, mom of two, advocate, and someone still learning how to piece together a beautiful, meaningful life after cancer.

"When I first found my lump, life already felt like it was spinning with change. We had just moved from Oregon to California to be closer to family. I’d left my corporate HR job of twelve years because I was completely burned out and craving something that felt more authentic. Around the same time, my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. And then, out of nowhere, cancer joined the mix."

Meet Lilly Ribner, a Stage I Triple-Negative Breast Cancer survivor, mom of two, advocate, and piecing together a life after cancer.

06/26/2025

Thank you Leah Alexis for constantly sharing your story and raising awareness about skin cancer!

“Seven summers ago, she was soaking in the season like any other—warm days, sun-kissed skin, and no reason to think anything was wrong.

But beneath the surface, something was quietly growing.

Cancer had already begun to take root on her chest, completely unnoticed; the deadliest type of skin cancer, melanoma.

There were no warning signs, no dramatic moment of discovery—just the slow, silent progression of something that would change her life forever.

Looking back now, it’s hard not to wonder how different things might have been if she had known.

But hindsight doesn’t change the past—it fuels the mission to protect others from the same silent danger.”

06/18/2025

IHadCancer is pleased to be a Community Partner on Cancer and Careers 15th Annual National Conference on Work & Cancer, being held virtually on June 27th! This FREE online event explores the complexities patients and survivors face as they balance their cancer treatment and recovery with work. Topics include balancing treatment and work, disclosure decisions, job search, using artificial intelligence strategically, building physical and mental resilience, and more. CEs/PDCs available.

Details & Registration at http://www.cancerandcareers.org/conference