I'm 22(f) and yesterday morning I was told that I have cancer

I'm so sorry that you are going through this - And so glad that you have decided to tell someone. Your family and friends are going to be your greatest support network, and in my experience they step up. You find out how amazing they can be - and you discover how amazing you are.

You're going to fight this, and you're going to do it like a boss. You can still read your list of books, and learn to fish. 5k will go on the back burner for now. You'll make new goals as well - learn to play some sort of instrument. Hell, learn to knit. (If this doesn't appeal to you, there are many other things you can learn to do).

Don't be afraid to plan things for the future, it'll give you something to look forward to. Flexible plans, that can be changed if necessary (Weekends away with your boyfriend, spa day with friends, shopping trip, a movie). Don't be afraid to ask for help, ask for someone to get groceries, take care of pets when you're feeling sick, clean the house. Your friends and family will be grateful for the chance to help you out, and bonus! some work gets done. Don't be afraid to cry, to be angry, to be scared. Crying can be a really great emotional release. None of these things make you less of a fighter - you're going to experience strong emotions, and you don't have to hide them.

Sometimes people are going to say stupid things. They'll mean well, but you'll probably want to scream. Don't hesitate to ask them not to say these things (try and do it somewhat diplomatically, but if you can't, don't feel too bad).

It's ok to be afraid. It's ok to be angry, and frustrated, and sad. Sometimes it helps to write a journal of all the things that have made you happy - and on a bad day, read back through it. It'll remind you that you still have good days, and that the bad isn't controlling you.

I'll keep you in my thoughts - if you ever need someone anonymous to vent to, feel free to PM me.

/r/TwoXChromosomes Thread