Humans of StupidCancer.org: What an Amazing Tribe

So, add this to the list of, "Things that are super f*g cool that I never thought I'd have the guts to do because they're way too big and scary, and so I did it anyways".

The nonprofit Stupid Cancer started an awesome tumblr page filled with beautiful photos and intense, meaningful and lovingly real stories. I found out about it through Facebook. And, I feel so grateful. I submitted one of my "crazy eyes" photos and a version of my short can't-sir story to date, and they accepted my story to be included in the line up and shared in their social media channels. 

Super cool, super crazy. Time for a Snoopy Dance.

Just one month ago I really wasn't sure I even wanted to tell my closest friends about what I was going through, let alone a bunch of strangers. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea or pity me or think of me as "that girl with the can't-sir," and I'd really seriously considered how I could just sort of take a short leave and hide out from the world, staying small and safe and secret through all this. But then I started walking the actual healing path. 

And I realized: part of my healing journey has been coming to understand that I don't want anyone on this planet to ever have to go through triple negative breast can't-sir again. And if they do have to, for reasons of karma or dharma or whatever, I don't want anyone to have to go through it feeling alone or weird or any of that icky stuff. If my story, or anything I say or do during this time, can make just one person on a can't-sir journey smile, laugh, or feel a tiny bit less alone, or whatever it is they need in that moment to remember they can do this thing they need to do right now, then I'm all-in.  I hitched up my britches and straightened my wig and sent my story in to Humans of Stupid Cancer, despite the fact that it's terrifying to be so publicly "out there", so that people could see that this is also what can't-sir looks like, and that there are a lot of us out here busy living with can't-sir, learning a new way to navigate in a world that suddenly got weird, and that no matter what, really, we can do this, and all is well.

The tumblr page w my pic. When you click the photos,
the stories appear. These humans are amazing.

Small and safe just went out the window. Super cool, super crazy. Holy crap. One more Snoopy Dance for luck.

You'll find I already tagged StupidCancer.org on my nonprofits page. I like the work they're doing specifically focused on bringing awareness and empowerment to adults under the age of 40 who have been diagnosed with can't-sir. I love their tough, fun style. I love that they talk with and for and about young adults who get cancer... and then get busy living, rather than the apparent, rather depressing alternatives we're all supposed to just settle for. And I love, love, love their take-no-prisoners luchador approach. 

From the StupidCancer.org website:

"Young adults, a largely unknown group in the war on cancer, account for 72,000 new diagnoses each year. That's one every eight minutes. It's also seven times more all than pediatric cancers. This is not OK!"

Amen to that.