08/07/2026
💛One month to the day since Jenna’s diagnosis, I could not be more proud of the strength, honesty, and perspective she continues to show through something no 24 year old should ever have to face. Please take a moment to read her powerful words.🌻
💛Things I’ve Learned After My First Month Being Diagnosed with Cancer💛
You never think it will be you.
Everyone says this, but it’s so true. It still feels fake for me most of the time.
I was a vegetarian for 16 years. I don’t drink soda or eat candy. I grew up in an organic household, have always eaten healthy overall, don’t have a family history of cancer, and I’m only 24.
You spend your whole life thinking cancer happens to other people. Then one day you’re the other people.
Anything can happen to anyone at any time, and truly no one is safe from a health problem.
No one truly appreciates life or their health until they’re put into a bad situation.
We wait way too long to appreciate how good life actually is.
Before my diagnosis, I constantly thought I had a hundred problems. I complained about little things all the time. The second you have a health problem, nothing from your past sounds like a real problem anymore. When your health is threatened, the average day-to-day issues seem so incredibly small.
Now I’m genuinely happy to go to work every day because it’s a blessing to be able to work. It’s a blessing to go to the gym. It’s even a blessing to be annoyed because my parents called me three times when I didn’t answer my phone.
Perspective is everything.
You learn people’s true colors when you’re going through a health crisis.
Everyone says they “don’t know what to say.”
At the end of the day, no one really knows what to say. But the people who figure it out anyway—the people who show up, check in, sit with you, and continue to support you—those are the people who deserve a place in your life.
Hard times reveal who people really are.
We are all given the tools to handle situations like this.
Before my diagnosis, I would selfishly think, “I can’t imagine going through something like that,” or, “I don’t know how they handle that,” whenever I saw someone else’s trauma.
The truth is that we’re all given the tools deep down to handle traumatic situations.
No one knows how to handle something like this at first. You don’t wake up one day magically equipped to deal with cancer. But we’re all born with the strength to survive difficult things. Sometimes you just have to know where to find it.
Doctors are less helpful than you think.
I’ve been told my cancer was simply “bad luck,” and there has been almost no discussion about diet or lifestyle changes.
I have liver cancer and was even told I could have a drink if I wanted to. (I haven’t had alcohol in two months.)
In my opinion, doctors don’t focus enough on the root causes of health issues or the importance of nutrition. The average American diet is wildly unhealthy, yet very little emphasis is placed on it.
Doctors also don’t typically look into holistic treatments, which means it’s up to you to do your own research, understand both Western medicine and holistic medicine, and decide what you believe is right for your own body.
Some things get louder, and some things get quieter.
Your patience gets quieter.
You lose patience for negativity, unnecessary drama, and people who don’t serve a positive purpose in your life. It’s hard to keep investing energy into relationships that don’t bring you peace.
At the same time, your emotions get louder.
You feel gratitude more deeply.
You appreciate people more.
You become more aware of how precious ordinary moments really are.
You can be sad and grateful at the same time.
Over the past two months, I’ve spent so much time putting life into perspective, and I genuinely am more grateful than words can describe.
I’m grateful for my life.
I’m grateful for my family.
I’m grateful for every normal day.
But I also cry almost every day when I’m alone.
Being positive doesn’t mean you’re never scared.
Believing everything will be okay doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have bad days.
Of course I’m scared.
But I also know I have the tools to get through this, and because of that, I want to enjoy every single day I’m given.
The power of your subconscious is real.
This is one of the strongest beliefs I’ve developed through this experience.
In my opinion, part of the reason cancer happens in people is because of what’s happening in their subconscious: escapism, powerlessness, and negative thought patterns. Most people don’t even realize these beliefs exist.
I’ve always been a happy person, but I’ve also always been very emotional. My emotions have consumed me for most of my life.
Powerlessness is real in the subconscious. Feeling like you can’t leave a relationship you know isn’t right. Feeling like you can’t lose weight. Feeling stuck in situations that no longer serve you.
Those emotions don’t just disappear.
In my opinion, they live in the body.
The liver, for example, is where the emotion of anger lives.
I believe mastering your subconscious, changing your perspective, and learning to regulate your emotions are skills that need to be mastered to achieve true health.
Cancer isn’t how it’s portrayed on television or social media.
If you saw me walking down the street, you would never know I have cancer.
I go to work every day.
I go to the gym.
I haven’t lost a single pound.
My eyes aren’t jaundiced.
My energy levels are completely normal.
My blood work comes back completely normal.
My liver enzymes are normal.
Your body can function completely fine and still have cancer.
Just because someone has cancer doesn’t mean they look sick or even feel sick.
