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I Had Cancer Guidelines

We're all here for similar reasons - we've been touched by cancer in some way. It’s up to all of us to show each other that no one is alone. Your IHadCancer profile is your own place to call home during this crazy thing called cancer, we just ask that you keep these simple guidelines in mind when participating.

1. Always Be Nice. This is a place for connections and conversations – we encourage you all to talk openly but please remain considerate in all of your engagement. Don’t post obscene, hateful or objectionable content. Abuse and disrespect will not be tolerated in the IHC community and is subject to deletion and user removal at our discretion.

2. Be a Good Friend. The IHC community is a family. Please remember to be a good friend to the connections you make on IHC. Ask questions that you wish someone would ask you; if you can’t find the right words to say, send a hug, it can speak louder than words. A simple gesture goes a long way.

3. Don't Spam. This includes sending unsolicited messages of any nature, posting links to unrelated content, promoting a survey, fundraiser or product where it shouldn’t be promoted. If you aren’t sure if something is appropriate to post, e-mail us and we’ll let you know.

4. Think Before You Post. Everything you post on IHadCancer is secure, but it is up to you to monitor how much or how little information you are sharing about yourself and your experience. Please don’t share personal or identifiable information like your mailing address or your full name and don’t share other member’s information.

5. If You See Something, Say Something. We work hard to make sure these guidelines are followed closely but if you see something that doesn’t’ feel right to you, please let us know. We review every report we receive and will take anything you say to heart. We promise.

6. Be Open. Welcome newcomers and help guide them through this journey based on your own experience. Whether you are a survivor, fighter, caregiver or supporter, you have valuable information that can very well help someone else who is just beginning the cancer journey. Be open to sharing experiences and give someone else the gift of your time.

Thanks for being a part of our community. It’s up to all of us to ensure that IHadCancer remains a place for us all to call home when dealing with the ups and downs of a cancer diagnosis.

Georgie's picture
Georgie Connect

Fighter: Lung Cancer

Reading some of the recent messages proved, once again, how strong you men and women are. I always knew it, but until I was diagnosed with lung cancer almost six years ago, I had no idea how strong I was. I had my 12th chemo treatment in a row yesterday, making a total of over the years of who-keeps-track? That to me is giving cancer too much power, and it's just a shitty part of me. I'm no longer friends with people who don't know how to laugh and who make federal cases out of pebbles in their shoe. You better have a joke to tell me when we meet. I have to see smiles, hear laughter, and feel hugs. It's so necessary because that's what helps to keep me going. I'm a great-grandma and many of my close friends have died. Many of the friends I made at the chemo clinic died, too, some because they didn't know how to fight. Others because it was their time, I guess. That hurts more than losing buddies I've had for decades because I know what those "sisters" and "brothers" went through. I know how some of their caregivers gave everything they had to keep their husband or wife alive... and couldn't. Do I hate my cancer? Not really. It taught me so much. I don't take people for granted anymore. I've had to learn to slow down and not be such a control freak. I love my husband more each day and know how lucky I am to have him, even though the old coot is hard of hearing and denies it! But who else would put up with me? I'm no walk on the beach to live with. Putting myself first isn't easy after decades of taking care of others, but at my age I can do it with his help. People, cancer is not stupid. Cancer is smart. Our job is to outsmart it any way we can. To me that means every morning when I wake up, my job is to remind myself to go to war and tell myself I'm smarter than my lung tumors. I'm trying to kill them with love. I surround them with red crystals and squeeze them tighter and tighter until they gasp and disappear. This visualization worked for me through two remissions, short as they were before, so I think it will work this third time. I'll find out when I go in for a PET scan within the next two weeks. I've had so many, I'm surprised I don't light up the room. How do I feel? Optimistic. As usual.

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