It’s Me, A Cancer Survivor, I Refuse to Be Ignored

Brian Sluga is now a testicular cancer survivor after receiving the diagnosis when he was 20 years old. Catch up on Brian's blogs here!

Listen up! I just want to let you know if you have been affected by cancer, stand up and be proud of the effort you put into making yourself the best survivor out there. You don’t know me, but I’m exactly the right person to say this to you. My biggest fear was, in fact, being scared to acknowledge who I am. You need to do this.

I have said, “I am a survivor,” and I want the world to know. For whatever reason, human interaction has a profound power to shelter us, provoke us, and, most of all, draw us closer to the human condition. Among our lifetime, we all choose our battles and make choices. It is those actions that define and acknowledge us all.

Discover how each component of your life might enhance your mental health. There should never be too much going on to not do something absolutely amazing for yourself. One simple thing you can try is to have a personal saying when you are being ignored in a conversation. Be sure it is something simple and memorable. For instance, if a healthcare provider is rambling and doesn’t want to listen to you, say, “I want my voice heard,” in your own way.

When thinking about your life and health, may I suggest to comma or not? That is the question. I happen to be a fan of the Oxford comma. Now, I know you are thinking, “What is he talking about?” Well, recently I’ve stopped to really examine my life and compare it to my punctuation choices. I have started writing more poetry and short stories, and punctuation is top of mind for me. I think about the implications of punctuation. Just a wee comma can change the meaning of a sentence. Knowing when to comma and when to period is the question. Period comes to an end. The hard reality of something that is finished, good or bad. A comma is a pause in your life. Something that you know isn’t quite complete. I learned through my cancer surgery that I needed more commas than periods.

After my surgery, the gurney was a symbol for a comma in my life.

I was just going through my best life, and this was the first time something was not right. I awoke on a gurney and felt something taken out of my body. It was not for the weak or faint of heart. It did not come with instructions or dignity like seen in movies.

I did not see the big picture. I needed that comma or a time to pause and think about my future. I knew that after the pause I would be getting out of the hospital, but I was stuck in my head about the future. It caught me differently. It was just not a random thought but something that buzzed feverishly. When all the tests, the poking and prodding, the days of arranging schedules around treatments are finished, I think of it as a glorious period.

I don’t think a cancer survivor ever puts a period to their whole ordeal.

Oh, it can be put in the past, but when we see our physical scars, we may pause and reflect with a comma. Or we may use a question mark when we have a funny-looking spot or feeling. Of course, in life there are always many exclamation points. I can point out all the exciting and exhilarating moments in life. But the comma is punctuation that is often overlooked. So, too, in life. The comma or pause does not need to be dramatic.

Praying in a dark, quiet room is one way I evaluate my present state. Others walk a beach or quiet morning neighborhood daily or participate in yoga. A simple comma in life can be as effective and as long-lasting as much as a more profound comma such as my gurney experience.

Now, years after my surgery, I understand I can take these experiences and help other survivors. This life can be overwhelming. Remember to use the comma.

Take this time away from other obligations and responsibilities and let your heart expand and be unafraid.

Refuse to be ignored and be proud of who you have become. We all have different paths, and many are not straight. There will be question marks, periods, and exclamation points on the path to sustained recovery. A survivor never gets to recovery without a novella of punctuation that comes with your determination. Be good to yourself; the world needs you.

Use a comma now and then to sustain and proclaim, “I have cancer, but I am a survivor.”

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here.