My CancerCon Experience

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I wish I was still at CancerCon. It was very helpful and meaningful for me. I miss all the new friends I made so very much. I really hope I can make it next year. It was such a blast. I get so emotional just thinking about CancerCon.

There are two things that really stuck with me from the breakout sessions. First thing that stuck with me was to think about the things you say to yourself when you are down and ask yourself: would you say those same things to your friends? No, you wouldn’t. We can say some mean things to ourselves when we are down, and going through so much medical stuff doesn’t help. It made me think that the next time I am down on myself, I’ll try to say the same things I would say to my friends.

The second thing that stuck with me was during the body image betrayal session. It was very helpful to be around others who were also dealing with body image problems after cancer treatment and surgery. It was good to be around others who could relate and understand that. At the end of the session, I came up with something to say to myself anytime I don’t like what I see. Next time I look in the mirror I am going to say to myself, “My body isn’t perfect, but for the crap my body has been through, my body is pretty darn perfect.” I have always been a pretty positive person, but even I have my moments where I might not be. All of us have these moments and that’s when it is most important to remind ourselves how beautiful and awesome we truly are, especially when our bodies have been through so much.

I am so glad I got the opportunity to experience CancerCon and gain even more confidence in myself after all the things I had been through because of cancer. It is important to find a community of people who can not only relate to what you have been through, but can also understand. I am happy there is a conference like CancerCon for young adults who have been affected by cancer.

By : Brandon Stroth

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