It’s cancer. What’s next?

Get a sense of what you can expect from patients and caregivers who've been through it.

 
 

FAQs curated by cancer survivors.

Homepage FAQs.png
 

Timelines by patients who’ve finished treatment.

Homepage Timeline Fast facts .png
 
 
four+friends+sunset.jpg

Our Story is The Patient Story

Leave behind the medical jargon and turn to the people who’ve been through it all already. The people behind The Patient Story are former cancer patients and caregivers who remember feeling anxiety when we got the diagnosis.

people+pointing+laptop.jpg

You’ve got this. We’ll help you through it.

Searching online for answers often leads to a lot of “doom and gloom.” There’s a lack of representation of all the incredible stories of survivors. Search below by cancer type. For topics like hair loss, fertility after chemotherapy, and parenting with cancer, check out our Treatment Tips section.

Recommended by and featured in

 
 
 
 
 

Collaborating with professionals from

 
Featured
Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatments save lives, but they also come with side effects. Hear straight from patients who’ve been treated for cancer - what they experienced and what helped them get through it.

Cancer Treatment and Hair Loss
Cancer Treatment and Hair Loss

Hear how cancer patients dealt with hair loss after chemotherapy and what some of them used to help growth after that loss.

Cancer Organizations and Nonprofit Services
Cancer Organizations and Nonprofit Services

Choose from over 40 cancer organizations and nonprofits for any cancer type and location Find where to get help for financial, housing, transportation and more.

We’d love to hear from you.

Whether it’s sharing your story or sharing feedback, hit the button below to help us build a better patient and caregiver platform.

Let’s Get Social

Follow The Patient Story on Instagram

"I got the call I had cancer on August 24th. Today I’m sharing what can happen in a short 4 months. ⁣ ⁣ -6 MRI’s⁣ -2 MammiPETs⁣ -1 PET scan⁣ -20 blood tests⁣ -2 rounds of SNG LIV1A infusions⁣ -7 rounds of Taxol infusions⁣ -6 biopsies⁣ -1 mammogram⁣ -2 surgeries and 1 echo gram⁣ ⁣ Before my diagnosis I thought I was in perfect health, I assumed I had my whole life ahead of me, my biggest stressor was wedding planning. In one week my whole world was turned upside down. I questioned what my future would look like and whether I would even have a future. I’m not sharing this for you to feel sorry for me, but I’ve found the strength within myself to share my truth in hopes that I can prevent this from happening to someone you know. ⁣ Please use this as a reminder to be thankful, live life to the fullest, and to appreciate your health."⁣ ⁣ -Colleen⁣ ⁣ #breastcancerawareness #breastcancer #breastcancerwarrior #patientshelpingpatients #thepatientstory
"I'm coming up on my 6 month post chemotherapy check-up this month. I can't believe it's only been S I X months. It feels like a lifetime ago. But today, I want to look back and shed some light about a lot of common misconceptions about chemotherapy. ⁣ ⁣ First things first, you lose your hair. I thought that was going to be the toughest part for me, boy was I in for a surprise. Losing my hair was literally the easiest thing that happened to me. The hardest part.... is being all alone. Sure, my nurses gave me all the pamphlets and printouts about what to expect....but reading it and experiencing it are two completely different things.⁣ ⁣ I wasn't prepared to lay in a hospital bed all alone bi-weekly for 9 months. I didn't know my fingernails would fall off. Or that my hands would peel dead skin so bad that I couldn't bear to touch warm water. I wasn't prepared for sleepless nights in the hospital because I was constantly getting up to use the restroom. Or that all the strong meds would cause constipation to the point that it was excruciating just sitting on my bum. ⁣ ⁣ I didn't know I'd have so many challenges after my surgery. But most of all, I didn't know I would be so tired all the time that I felt lifeless. I battled with depression all alone day after day, night after night. And on special days when I received visitors I would battle between being so overjoyed with their presence but also wanting them to leave so I could sleep. It was beyond tough. ⁣ ⁣ If you know anyone sitting in a hospital room or battling a disease, let me tell you from first hand experience that it means the WORLD if you go and visit. Even if you're just sitting there while they sleep, your presence is so much stronger than just a phone call to check in or a text cheering them on from afar. I look back and I will always cherish the joy my friends brought me because they made me forget all the pain temporarily. I had great support from those I love. Looking forward to another clear scan this month and continue my gratitude for my health."⁣ ⁣ -Ashley, A Strong Fighter and a Fearless Mother⁣❤️ ⁣ #chemotherapy #baldisbeautiful #chemosucks #cancerawareness #lungcollapse #thepatientstory
"I never thought I would ever see myself with a bald head. When I look in the mirror, it still shocks me a lot of the time. I’m dealing with hot flushes from chemo but my head gets cold at night so I have a fan on, an ice pack and a beanie. I don’t know how bald people do it in winter! It’s true the heat escapes from your head. ⠀⠀⠀⁣ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣ Being bald has taught me so much more how to love me. I thought my hair was my identity, but now I see the real me. The me who despite everything just keeps going, the one who underneath it all is just a ball of pink loving light. None of the crap that used to matter to me like cellulite or wrinkles bother me anymore - the fact that I live and breathe, taking in the fresh air and the sunlight is enough!⁣ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣ Life is fleeting, and going through something like this has given me perspective I would never have gotten without going through it. I take solace in the fact that I am not alone on this journey, in fact I have met so many beautiful people along the way who have either gone through or are going through what I am now.⁣ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣ ...⁣ ⁣ I always used to say chemotherapy was the devil, that I would never touch it if I ever had cancer - life changes when you’re faced with a life or death situation. This devil has [shrunk] my tumor almost beyond feeling it and I trust in my own power to bounce back after treatment.⁣ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣ I believe in living every moment that I have and never sweating the small stuff because in the light of life or death, only the big stuff matters - and the big stuff is that no matter what you are going through, it’s happening FOR YOU and life is pretty damn good.⁣ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣ Happy self loving 🥰"⁣ ⁣ -Sarah Da Silva⁣ ⁣ #chemotherapy ⁣#baldandbeautiful #cancerhairloss #cancersucks #patientshelpingpatients #thepatientstory #cancerawarness

NOTE: Information on ThePatientStory.com is not medical advice. It's shared by our cancer community members.