Part of our ongoing Cancer Secrets series, where our community shares the truths that often go unsaid.
Front Text:
“To be able to laugh at evil and error means that we have surmounted them.”
Secret:
“Sometimes I wish my cancer would come back.
I also wish I looked ‘sick’ when I was going through treatment.”
Some secrets aren’t meant to be fixed. They just need to be witnessed.
This one holds the ache of invisibility, the longing for others to see what you’ve endured. For many young adults, illness isn’t always visible, and that can feel deeply isolating. It’s okay to crave recognition, even when it comes tangled with confusing wishes. Healing doesn’t mean tidy feelings. Sometimes it just means finally saying them out loud.
— Cancer Secrets Submission, August 2025
Want to share your own secret?
Visit our Cancer Secrets page to submit anonymously and add your voice to the collective truth of this community.
