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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.

Caitlyn-70758's picture
Caitlyn-70758 Connect

Caregiver: Ocular Melanoma

Dear Cancer--- You were thrust into our life like a wrecking ball through a building. As if our world needed disruption. You marched in taking charge, it didn’t matter that we didn’t know you. We complied with your requests, dropped plans when you announced your scheme. Necessary changes needed to occur to fit you in and we hesitated to allow you to cloud our itinerary. We questioned your identity, your truth, and your ending point. We learned what we could to equip ourselves with necessary tools to work with you. You gave our lives new meaning; you made us grow with this project. You demolished our picture perfect façade. You tore things up as you pleased, bulldozing and excavating our bodies inside and out. We followed along as if you were our foreman. Your list of demands forced change, good and bad. We changed the way we did things to suit you, while dropping unneeded weight to defy you. We didn’t know where the project was going, but we knew we couldn’t leave until it was complete. Your plot the only thing in our head at night, first thought in the morning. We had a choice to make, foil or follow. We embraced your presence as permanent. Foiling your idea was our new trade. Each day an opportunity to rebel, disobeying you with happiness, smiles, and awarded with badges of our fight against you. In the end, we want all the praise for the job we completed, outshining your hold. We accept the pain, our bodies designed to withstand you. We allow weakness, for it only helps us improve. We seek help and support, from those who knew you before us. We built our own team for completing this mission. A mission we didn’t want to be on, but now it’s etched forever in our makeup. We further our developments by holding you with us. Reminding ourselves we are the foreman in our lives, we build what we want with the tools we are given, we can handle the problems that appear, and reach out to others who can help us on our venture, and in the end construct a better world because you joined us. You can leave when you want, your project is done, and our fight to break away from you will not end.

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