The battle with cancer starts in your head. I know that almost seems cliched to say, but that is the truth of it. I should know, I’m now entering the start of my 9th battle.
I started posting videos of my treatment, things to keep the mood light to show concerned friends what was happening to me without having to update everyone one by one. What I got was some overwhelming responses from other patients that found me online. All in the same place no matter what type of cancer they had; hopeless. The trick to this is that that is the one place you cannot let yourself go. Laying in the hospital dying, with their families' lives falling apart around them. That's a terrifying place to be in, and so many people never make it back.
When one patient in particular's heartfelt email put me into tears asking for advice, I gave her what I thought was the most direct, honest, and forthright response. She was dying. What could I even possibly say to change that or her outlook on it?
Whatever I said worked. She made a miraculous recovery, and although she's still in treatment herself, she's got all her hair back and is out of the hospital. She thinks I saved her life, all I really did was point out to her that she still had one to live.

I'm told that what I'm doing with this, making things fun, helps people get through this. Helps people learn how to better support someone who's just beginning their fight. What I don't do is shy away from the harsh realities that sometimes this really does suck, it's all real and no bs. I think the honesty drives people in and helps them better relate. So that's what I'm going to do. Help people.
There's going to be good days. There's also going to be in indeterminate number of bad ones. They may even outweigh the good. You can change that with how you think. There's always a silver lining to look at, and you have to convince yourself of that right now if you hope to survive. I did this by telling myself that it's going to keep trying to kill me but I prove every time that I'm indestructible. You can't rely on someone else to save your life. You have to learn how to do this yourself, and the first step in that direction will always be your attitude.
Shawn.
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How To Really Live Through The Battle With Cancer
