It’s cancer. Now what?

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

 
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FAQs curated by cancer survivors.

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Timelines by patients who’ve finished treatment.

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Featured
Working During Cancer Treatment
Working During Cancer Treatment

Whether you continue working or take time off during treatment, there are many questions new cancer patients face when it comes to their job. Here's what survivors had to say about dealing with work during chemo, radiation, and more.

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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.

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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.

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Fertility and Pregnancy After Cancer Treatment
Fertility and Pregnancy After Cancer Treatment

Hear how cancer patients took steps to increase their chances of fertility and pregnancy after undergoing chemotherapy or other cancer treatments.

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Parenting With Cancer
Parenting With Cancer

Hear how patients facing cancer navigated diagnosis and treatment while balancing their role as a parent. Hear their advice from how to talk to your kids about cancer to when to ask for help with childcare.

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What Does Cancer Feel Like?
What Does Cancer Feel Like?

Hear from cancer patients in their own words about what cancer felt like - from diagnosis to treatment to recovery.

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If you've been through cancer, this platform is also for you. We hope sharing what you've been through with those who need the help most may empower you.

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"It definitely took awhile for me to kind of wrap my head around that idea. It's hard. Because you think, 'I'll be in treatment forever. And my life might be kind of run by this disease.'⁣ ⁣ But if you put it in perspective, everybody deals with something. Whether it be a bad heart or Crohn's disease, other types of chronic disease, you know? Someone battling addiction, having someone that they love battling addiction. Estrangement from family. Everybody's going through something or another. So to me it kind of puts it in perspective - this is my struggle. ⁣ ⁣ Luckily I don't have to deal with many or any of those other issues, but this is my cross to bear and I want to do it, you know, I want to do a service to the other people that are in my position and bear it well.⁣ ⁣ The other thing, too, is that just because the right treatment out there doesn't exist for you right now, keeping your cancer, doing palliative treatment to keep yourself as healthy and active as possible is always a good thing because things are developing so rapidly out there with clinical trials across the country. So every day that you keep yourself alive is another day that something new might come about that is the key to solving the case of your specific type of cancer."⁣ ⁣ -Brittany Wagner, Stage 4 Cervivor ⁣ ⁣ Thank you to this incredible woman for sharing her story with us, including her message about treating her cancer as a chronic illness, living a happy and full life. We will let everyone know once the story link is up on ThePatientStory.com. For now, if you'd like to follow her and her story, check out her IG @sick_but_pretty. ❤️⁣ ⁣ #thepatientstory #cervivor #cervicalcancer #cervicalcancerawareness #squamouscellcarcinoma #patientshelpingpatients #ourstory #immunotherapy #findyourcommunity #inthistogether #caregiver
Hello, Stephanie here 👋🏻 (TPS founder). Personal post: I’m back at @UCSF for a routine check-up with my wonderful hematologist/oncologist, Dr. Ai⁣👩🏻‍⚕️. ⁣ ⁣⁣ Every time I’m back here, now as someone in remission, waves of emotions sweep over me. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 1️⃣ Gratitude. I’m so thankful to be here instead of two years ago, sitting in clinic feeling wiped out. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 2️⃣ Compassion and empathy. For the people who are in treatment now. And the people who are just now beginning to learn about their cancer. I wish I could hug each one of them. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 3️⃣ Love. Love for the incredible people who work here. Just bumped into one of my favorite nurses-turned-friend, Jen (who has a nurse profile up on ThePatientStory.com - link in bio!). The physicians, physician’s assistants, the admin up front: these are people who helped make my
Monday, we’re ready for you. 👋🏻⁣ ⁣ #thepatientstory #mondaymotivation
"Look at me: I was healthy, athletic. I didn't think I was going to have breast cancer. And I think just going through this process, I don't know. When I say to try to find somebody that you can rely on, I've tried that and it's a little bit difficult. If you can't find a person or if you don't have people around you, then just go to a support group, cancer group, care group to walk you through it. ⁣ And then just find that person that can stand by your side and that understands.⁣ ⁣ It’s the compassion because that's what a person needs when they're going through this terrible disease. Everybody has different circles but I also feel that it's important to get involved in a cancer group because I can be honest and open with somebody who's been through cancer. ⁣ ⁣ They know exactly what I'm going through. We can help each other on that because my issue may be different than yours but it's the same whereas if I talk to somebody at my work they can agree but they don't really understand."⁣ ⁣ We're grateful to say that Rachel is in remission for breast cancer (IDC, stage 1B). She shares her journey and what helped her through it on our site (link in bio).⁣ ⁣ What she says about finding your community rings so true: it's important when going through something as life upending or changing as a cancer diagnosis. It may not be easy, but we and so many others are out here for you. ⁣ ⁣ We're hoping our community of The Patient Story ambassadors who've shared their stories will help those who feel a bit lost. Even if they didn't have the same kind of cancer, a lot of the emotions and struggles are the same.⁣ ⁣ #⁣thepatientstory #patientshelpingpatients #cancer #community #cancercommunity #breastcancer #caregiversupport #understanding #supportsystem ⁣ ⁣
The oxygen mask way: put it on yourself before anyone else.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ A great reminder on this Valentine's Day to remember to take care of yourself! Sending big hugs today and every day, to fellow patients, caregivers, survivors, and thrivers. ⁣⁣ ⁣ Image: @rubyst ⁣ ⁣⁣ #thepatientstory #loveyou #patientshelpingpatients #caregiversupport #vday #valentinesday2019

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