Cancer has affected everyone. Whether you have cancer, know someone with cancer, will have cancer (I pray you won’t), it has affected you. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. It is ruthless.
Long story short, cancer sucks. It sucks even more having to live and breathe it every day.
I’m surrounded by cancer daily but not in the way most people would think. No, I don’t have cancer. But, for almost two years, I’ve worked at a cancer center. And now I work full-time at the UF Health Cancer Center in communications.
Yes, it pays the bills, but I’d rather be unemployed than see cancer ravish through another body. The disease is unforgiving and devastating for all those involved in someone’s cancer journey.
Working for a cancer center has truly changed me…
There’s not a day that I’m not inspired – by the incredible strength of patients and the tireless work of researchers and physicians.
There’s not a day that I’m not reminded how unimportant my grievances are – I’m not fighting for my life.
There’s not a day that I’m not prompted to live life to the fullest – tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, so why wait to take a leap of faith?
There’s not a day that I’m not grateful – for how far medicine has come and for the health of me and my loved ones.
And there’s not a day that I’m not optimistic – there WILL be a day we see a cancer-free world (and I really hope it’s in my lifetime).
Cancer news and cancer patient stories have become a true passion of mine. It’s one of the most exciting and important topics because of how many people are affected by this disease all over the world.
To me, there’s nothing that fuels my soul quite like telling the story of a patient’s cancer journey, especially the ones with a happy ending. It is an honor to be trusted with telling the story of a patient’s most vulnerable and scary life occurrence, and it is not a job I take lightly. Cancer is as personal as it gets, and I think it’s pertinent to us as humans to hear these stories – they remind other patients that they are not alone and inform people on how to detect, prevent and treat cancer. I really do love my job, but I pray that someday it won’t need me.
This job has given me the highest highs and the lowest lows. I’ve experienced a young mother with a then-benign tumor fall victim to cancer’s reign. But I’ve also witnessed a novel treatment cure a woman’s merciless cancer in just three months. I cry for the families of those who lost their battles, and I cry for the families who can hug their survivor.
On this Feb. 4, World Cancer Day, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the patients, physicians, researchers, nurses, oncologists, pharmacists, communicators, administrators, families, friends and all those in between who strive every single day toward a common goal – a cancer free world. We can, we will. Together.