Expert Article

Putting myself first

My Journey Recovering From Cancer

Imagine you are driving down PCH in your preserved red RX-7 FD. The engine is roaring, windows down playing “Objects in the Mirror” by Mac Miller. Suddenly you notice your precious car starts to make some weird noises. The noise gets louder. And louder. You start to worry that something might actually be wrong with your car. The uncertainty is frightening, you almost do not want to find out what is wrong with your treasured possession. Then, the car comes to a complete stop. You sit on the side of the road waiting for a mechanic to come; (you paid good money for this car for it to become obsolete!). Anxious as to what may be wrong with your beautiful new car you are determined to fix it. Except in my scenario, the car was my health and the mechanic was my treatment and recovery. 

Now in remission, I want to share what I have learned and how my perspective towards life has changed. Cancer is a deeply personal topic for me. It was the lowest point of my life. I lost everything; my physical strength, my everyday routine, and my time. It felt as if my world had frozen and everyone around me kept on living. Although I may have felt physically weak during this time, I was determined to make a full recovery. I have since made a conscious decision that I would not let this strenuous circumstance take control of my future. 

Self-Advocacy in Healthcare

For you to understand the aspects that led to my full recovery we have to go to the start. For context I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, though getting the initial diagnosis was difficult since the first Urologist I visited denied that I had cancer. I then went to ask for a second opinion and was denied by my insurance. Not taking “no” for an answer, I unfortunately had to travel to Tijuana, Mexico to get officially diagnosed. Once diagnosed I was scared to come back to the states, uncertain if my primary care doctor would again deny my claim like my urologist did negating me followup treatment. This time of my life felt as if I was running out of a burning house about to collapse. Fortunately, I made it out of the metaphorical burning house, my primary care doctor was very responsive, getting me a spot at UCLA’s center of oncology. If it wasn’t for my diligence to seek answers, I probably would not be here today.

Although I hope no one in this class has to go through a cancer diagnosis and the horrors of American Healthcare, Lin highlights an important point that can be applied to all types of medical care. “Self-advocacy can build patients’ confidence, help them understand cancer with a more positive attitude, proactively collect relevant data, and dare to express their demands” (Lin 9). A medical center should promote communication and empower patients to ask questions. But since that does not always happen, I have compounded a list of suggestions that will help you advocate for yourself in a healthcare setting. 

One strategy is bringing a trusted person with you to appointments, having an extra ear is helpful especially when nerves are high. I know carrying a notebook really works for me because I tend to forget my concerns. Having things written down, whether it’s symptoms you’ve noticed, medication side effects, or questions that come to mind between visits ensures you don’t leave feeling uncertain. Finally, it’s important to come prepared with curiosity: ask “why” and “what if” questions so you can make the most informed decisions about your care. I personally used these strategies myself, and they helped me shift the focus back onto what mattered most putting me and my health first.

Advocating for Mental Health

A healthy mind is a healthy body. After treatment, I went to my local library looking for books on self help. I came across this book that caught my attention called A Liberated Mind by Steven C. Hayes. Dr.Hayes advocates for a type of thought process called Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). When I was going through cancer, my mind was filled with fear and anxiety. I couldn’t stop imagining scenarios where I would have to go back to chemo, and it felt like I was trapped in my own head. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) gave me a way to handle those thoughts without letting them control me. Instead of trying to push away the fear or judge myself for feeling weak, I learned to notice the thoughts, let them pass, and remind myself that they were just thoughts and not reality. For example, before every scan I used to spiral, but I started contemplating what I valued most; my peace of mind and time with my family and friends. Little by little, I began making choices that lined up with those values, like reaching out to friends when I felt alone. ACT didn’t erase the trauma, but it helped me carry it differently, and that made moving forward possible.

Advocating for one’s mental health is a lifelong commitment and something I put above all. “In your pain you find your values, and in your values you find your pain” (“Psychological Flexibility: How Love Turns Pain Into Purpose” 11:27). After chemo, I realized I couldn’t go back to living the same way I did before. The experience forced me to reinvent what I valued and what I wanted my life to center around. My health, which I used to take for granted, became something I now protect and prioritize every day. I started letting go of the things that drained me, like trying to meet everyone else’s expectations, and focused instead on being present with the people who mattered most. Redefining my values wasn’t easy, but it gave me a new sense of purpose that felt real and worth fighting for.

“The worst of life couldn’t take out the best in me” (“What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience” 4:35). During recovery, there were days I couldn’t get out of bed because I felt drained and without motivation. I learned that instead of expecting myself to bounce back overnight, I had to set realistic expectations. Some days, success looked like simply eating a meal or taking a shower. Other days, I had the energy to walk outside or catch up with a friend. What mattered wasn’t being at 100% all the time, but showing up in small, consistent ways that kept me moving forward. That shift in perspective allowed me to measure progress by persistence, not perfection.

Moving Forward

Above all, my cancer journey taught me that everyone is deserving of self-love. Through self-love I have learned how important it is to advocate for yourself in all aspects of life. To me self advocacy is more than just fighting for medical treatment, it means making a place for yourself where you are cared for.

Works Cited

Lin, Lijun, et al. “The Experience of Self-Advocacy among Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.” PLoS One, vol. 20, no. 4, Apr. 2025, p. e0321719. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libproxy2.usc.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0321719.

Neff, Kristin D., and Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA. “Self-Compassion: Theory, Method, Research, and Intervention.” Annual Review of Psychology, 2023, pp. 193–218. self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Neff-2023.pdf.

TEDx Talks. “Psychological Flexibility: How Love Turns Pain Into Purpose | Steven Hayes | TEDxUniversityofNevada.” YouTube, 23 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=o79_gmO5ppg.

TEDx Talks. “What Trauma Taught Me About Resilience | Charles Hunt | TEDxCharlotte.” YouTube, 18 Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qELiw_1Ddg.