https://www.thrivingthroughcancer.life/

Sevenex, Lepelaarstraat 10 Bus 402, Antwerp (2025)

17/02/2025

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑫𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑼𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝑯𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝑾𝒂𝒚

💬 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔—𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡:
👉 For doctor or test appointments
👉 For test results that seem to take ages, feeling like a lifeline
👉 For concrete answers that may never be given

📌 And in between the waiting, there’s the wondering—endless and exhausting:
💭 Will the treatment work?
💭 What if the cancer spreads?
💭 How much time is left?

📅 Every scan feels like a verdict. Every call from the hospital—a breath held tight.

💔 𝐼 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑜.

The restless days. The racing thoughts. The fear that the next moment could change everything.

✨ Uncertainty taught me more than I ever expected…
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦:
👉 You can dissolve it by surrendering to it.
👉 Fear and hope can alternate next to each other.
👉 You can’t control the outcome, but you can choose how you face it.

🌿 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛?
👉 Keeping a routine—even when my mind spins.
👉 Talking with those who get it—because connection fuels resilience.
👉 Allowing my emotions... but not to live in them.

🤝 That’s why I created a 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞—because I know how isolating uncertainty can feel—a place for honest conversations, shared experiences, and mutual support. A space where uncertainty is met with understanding, and connection with people on the same journey as you.

💬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮?

📩 𝐷𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝐷𝑀 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑦.

📌 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦: www.thrivingthroughcancer.life

14/02/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬. 𝐈 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥.

💬 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑖𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠.

When my cancer journey began, I believed I’d be surrounded by support—friends, family, doctors.

And they were... for a while.

But over time:
👉 The calls fade.
👉 The messages stop.
👉 Life moves on for them. For me, it stands still—confined to home and hospital.

💭 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑒𝑑: 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑.

The world keeps spinning, but I feel invisible. Frozen in place.

Doctors treat my disease, but they don’t treat me.
Nurses are warm and caring in the hospital. But once I’m home again... I am alone.

💬 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦:
👉 My wife is at work.
👉 My children continue their lives.
👉 Friends don’t fully understand.
👉 Family tries, but their words fall short.

💭 𝐷𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜?

💡 𝐼𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑟, 𝐼 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭.
The silence... the loudest.
The clock ticks, the house stays quiet—emptiness filling every corner.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑒. 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜.

It’s in shared moments, open conversations, and knowing you are truly seen:
👉 A heartfelt phone call.
👉 An unexpected visit for a coffee chat.
👉 A simple hug.

🤝 That’s why I created a 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 —a place for real conversations, shared experiences, and mutual support. A space where 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

💬 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛, ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑?

📩 𝐷𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝐷𝑀 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑦.

📌 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦: www.thrivingthroughcancer.life

10/02/2025

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟒. 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

💬 “𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑜 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑒.”

The doctor’s words hit me like a hammer. I sit there, frozen. 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭? My mind is spinning.

💭 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛? 𝑁𝑜 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑒?
💭 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒?
💭 𝐼𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑡?

🗓 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑. After weeks of tests and waiting, the doctors finally know what's wrong.

The cancer is back. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞. And worse—this rare mutation has no real medical cure.

💬 “𝑊𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒.”
💬 “𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦.”

I nod. But inside, I’m screaming.
💭 𝐴𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡?
💭 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡?

With that, they send me home.
I cry the entire drive back, gripping the wheel.
I cry when I walk through the door.
Tears fall as I sit on the couch, staring at the walls.
Fear. Grief. Frustration. These emotions are overwhelming, paralyzing.

For 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, I stay in this dark place.
I wasn’t ready to go.
I wasn’t ready to suffer again.

I wanted to 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰.
I wanted to 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡.
I wanted to 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞.

💡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔.

And then—something shifted.
💬 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒?
💬 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒?

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝟔 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.

Not because of chemo. But because I combined medical science with everything I had learned about resilience and purpose. The clinical trial stopped the cancer’s growth, but my mindset, choices, and actions helped me reclaim my life.

💛 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Yes, I still face side effects. But I have quality of life.
And 𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭—𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫. It was up to me to unwrap it, guiding me into a role where I could help others facing cancer.

Because it led me here.
To a purpose I never saw coming.
To a mission greater than myself: 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲.

💬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞? 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐌 𝐦𝐞.

📌 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦: www.thrivingthroughcancer.life

06/02/2025

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐌𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫.

💬 "𝑊𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑛𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑢𝑛𝑔."

The doctor's voice is calm. Too calm.
I stare at the screen. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬. A small, 1.4 cm shadow at the bottom of my right lung.
My heartbeat pounds in my ears. 𝐀 𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧?

I try to listen, but my mind is racing.
Words like 𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑝𝑠𝑦, 𝑓𝑢𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑦 swirl around me.
The room feels smaller. The air, heavier.

💭 𝑁𝑜. 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛.

I’m back 𝟑𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 in time.
Hospitals. Scans. The fear of not knowing what’s next.
I thought I had left cancer behind. But here it is, finding me again.

The doctor keeps talking, but I don’t hear her.
All I hear is my own thoughts screaming:
💬 “𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑚𝑒?”
💬 “𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦. 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔?”
💬 “𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑖𝑡?”

The tests move fast. The results hit harder.
𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫. 𝐑𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝.
The doctors reassure me: "𝑊𝑒’𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑢𝑛𝑔. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡."

I cling to those words. I hold onto 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞.

The surgery happens. I tell myself this is the end of my cancer story.

But 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬.

Nine months later, a persistent cough.
More scans. More waiting. More fear.
And then— 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟒. 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥. 𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞.

💡 𝐼 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑧𝑒. 𝑀𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑠. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒, 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑢𝑝.

I remember everything I’ve learned about resilience. About purpose.
I take a deep breath. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.

And when I do, things start to shift.

🔹 I connect with a woman who survived a 200-tumor melanoma and is still thriving.
🔹 I get accepted into a clinical trial with an experimental drug designed for my rare cancer mutation.
🔹 Despite the odds, I’m here today—still standing, still believing in what’s possible.

𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬:
A cancer diagnosis may feel like the end. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞.

💬 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐌 𝐦𝐞.

📌 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦: www.thrivingthroughcancer.life

03/02/2025

𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫

💭 “𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔.”
💭 “𝐶𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.”
💭 “𝐼𝑓 𝐼 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛, 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘?”

If you’ve had these thoughts after your cancer diagnosis, you’re not alone.
But here’s something no one tells you: 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫.

When you push down fear, anger, sadness—they don’t go away. They linger. They tighten your chest, steal your sleep, and drain your energy.

Yet society often tells us to “be strong.” To keep it together. To hide the pain.

But 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

💡 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐭. 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.
Yes, it’s okay to grieve. To feel fear. To sit with your sadness.
But you can’t live there forever.

At some point, you have to take a breath, stand up, and step forward—one small step at a time.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐨?
🔹 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 – Give yourself permission to feel without judgment.
🔹 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 – Whether it’s crying, writing, talking—release the weight.
🔹 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Healing isn’t about avoiding emotions; it’s about knowing when to shift from feeling to moving forward.

I know this personally.
There were times in my cancer journey when I felt like I was drowning in emotions.
But I learned that emotions demand to be felt. And when I finally allowed them, I could breathe again.

𝐒𝐨 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐢𝐟 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠—𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫:
You are not your sadness. You are not your fear.
You are more than this moment.

💬 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥—𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐌 𝐦𝐞. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

📌 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦: www.thrivingthroughcancer.life

30/01/2025

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲? 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

You're sitting in the waiting room, surrounded by people—yet you feel completely alone.
Your cancer diagnosis has turned your world upside down.
In the beginning, friends and family were there, but as time passes, it feels like you’re facing this battle on your own.

💭 𝐷𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑟?

It’s something many experience in their cancer journey.
The world keeps turning while you're caught in a storm of emotions and uncertainty.
Some people don’t know what to say. Others keep their distance because your situation reminds them of their own fears.

But here’s a truth you need to hear: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞.

There are people who understand.
Who have walked this road, felt the same exhaustion, the same fear.
Who don’t expect you to be “strong” all the time.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐨?

🔹 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬 – A safe space where people get what you're going through.
🔹 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬 – No judgment, no empty advice, just true understanding.
🔹 𝐁𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – Sometimes support comes from unexpected places.

I know this feeling all too well.
There were moments in my own cancer journey when I felt completely isolated—like I was carrying this enormous weight alone.
But I also discovered that connection, even in the smallest ways, made a huge difference.

That’s why I want you to know: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞.

📌 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦: www.thrivingthroughcancer.life

28/01/2025

𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫? 𝐈 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩!

Facing cancer can feel like walking through a storm. While every journey is unique, I want to better understand the challenges and needs that matter most to YOU.

I’m inviting individuals navigating cancer—or their loved ones—to share their thoughts with me in a short, confidential conversation. Your insights will play a crucial role in shaping how 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 can provide meaningful support to others on this journey.

✨ If you’re open to chatting or know someone who might be, please use this link to schedule a video call at a time that works for you: https://calendly.com/patrick_rombouts/your-experience-matters-feedback-call Or, feel free to share this post with your network.

If a call doesn’t feel right for you, that’s okay too! You can share your thoughts through a quick anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/LQwYSWPzjo9ZNGRz9

💛 Every voice matters. Your insights will help shape a program that truly makes a difference.

With gratitude,
Patrick

20/01/2025

𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲!

Pink Monday is here—a day to wear pink, stand in solidarity, and raise awareness. But for those battling breast cancer, every single day is a fight for courage, strength, and hope.

Today, let’s honor their bravery. Let’s go beyond the color and make a statement: no one should have to face this journey alone.

Through my 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 program, I strive to ease the physical, emotional, and mental pain of those on this path, offering support and connection every step of the way.

So wear pink today, and remember—this battle doesn’t stop when Monday ends.

www.thrivingthroughcancer.life

14/01/2025

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Since I was 27, cancer has been part of my story—but not the whole story.

In this short video, I share how I found resilience and hope and why I believe no one should walk this path alone.

💛 𝐼𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑤𝑤.𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟.𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑎 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙. 𝐿𝑒𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟.

09/01/2025

Your diagnosis is part of your journey—but it doesn’t define who you are.

So often, we unknowingly accept labels placed on us by doctors or other healthcare professionals, such “𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡,” “𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 3 𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑎,” or “𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑜𝑟”. Even family and friends may unintentionally use labels like “𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑙𝑙” or “𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑚,” reinforcing a limited view of who we are.

But you have the power to reclaim your identity and write your own story.

Who do you choose to be in the face of life’s challenges?

In 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟, we guide you to reconnect with your inner strength and true self, so you can live not defined by fear or labels but by resilience and purpose.

Take a small step today: reflect on this question— 𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑦?

To connect or learn more, visit www.thrivingthroughcancer.life. Ready to take the next step? Let’s connect!

07/01/2025

When you’re given a life-changing diagnosis, it often comes with a name—one that can feel scary, clinical, or heavy. Words like “𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡,” “𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 3 𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑎,” or “𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑜𝑟” can quickly become part of how you see yourself.

But here’s the truth: 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬.

Labels can unintentionally define how we live, think, and even heal. But your identity isn’t limited to a medical term—it’s something deeper, shaped by your values, dreams, and unique strengths.

Take a moment today to reflect: 𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑚 𝐼 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑙? 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒, 𝑚𝑒?

In the 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 program, we explore ways to gently release unhelpful labels and reconnect with your true self—because healing starts with how you see yourself.

To connect or learn more, visit www.thrivingthroughcancer.life.

03/01/2025

𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑃ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙, 𝑀𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐸𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦.

Once you've reflected on your "why," it’s time to ask a second, equally powerful question:

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆?

For those facing cancer, this question isn’t about who you were before your diagnosis. It’s about embracing the strength and growth that this journey calls for.

Maybe it’s about becoming someone who allows space for healing, seeks support, or finds moments of joy even in hardship. Growth isn’t easy—it’s like climbing a staircase, step by step. But with each step, you become a stronger version of yourself.

Take a moment to reflect: 𝑊ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟?

To connect or learn more, visit www.thrivingthroughcancer.life.

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