What they don’t tell you about surviving cancer | Nick Wendell | TEDxSioux Falls

Quick Overview

Nick Wendell shares his personal journey of surviving thyroid cancer twice, emphasizing that survival is complex and involves managing ongoing mental health challenges like fear, anger, guilt, and anxiety, rather than just celebrating the physical victory.

Key Points: Wendell was diagnosed with thyroid cancer on April Fool's Day, 1990ish, and later with a more aggressive deep nerve sheath tumor, requiring multiple surgeries and radiation treatments. He contrasts the public narrative of cancer survivorship (often focused on celebration) with the reality of survivors struggling with mental health issues like fear, anger, guilt, and anxiety. He shares a statistic showing the projected massive increase in cancer survivors in the US, from 3.1 million in 1982 to 22.9 million by 2032, highlighting the growing need to address post-treatment mental health. A key lesson he learned, written in his 'non-diary notebook,' is 'Don't ignore your scars,' which applies both literally (his surgical scars) and metaphorically to the emotional toll of cancer. He references the movie 'Home Alone' quote, 'Do your best, Kevin McCallister,' as an example of a 'worst best' scenario—where the trauma of survival brings overwhelming anxiety. He concludes by advising listeners to practice gratitude and not compare their own calamity experience to others, as every survivor's journey, even when physically successful, involves unique mental burdens.

Context: Nick Wendell delivers a TEDxSioux Falls talk titled 'Notes on Survival,' recounting his personal experience of surviving two different cancers: an initial thyroid cancer diagnosis in the early 1990s, followed years later by a deep nerve sheath tumor. He focuses not just on the physical act of surviving, but on the often-overlooked emotional and mental repercussions that follow, such as fear, guilt, and anxiety, which he argues are frequently ignored in the broader narrative of cancer survivorship.

Detailed Analysis

Nick Wendell recounts his experience of being diagnosed with cancer twice—first thyroid cancer around 1990, and later a deep nerve sheath tumor requiring extensive surgery and radiation. He notes that while the physical treatments were successful, the mental toll persisted. He highlights a statistic projecting the number of cancer survivors in America to grow from 3.1 million in 1982 to 22.9 million by 2032, underscoring that the mental health aspect of survivorship is a massive and growing issue that needs attention. Wendell shares his coping mechanism: a non-diary notebook where he writes down lessons, including the maxim, 'Don't ignore your scars,' referring both to his physical scars and the emotional trauma. He illustrates the complexity of survivorship using the movie quote, 'Do your best, Kevin McCallister,' explaining that surviving a severe event often leads to anxiety about future recurrence, guilt about the burden placed on loved ones, and fear, which he calls the 'worst best' scenario. He concludes by urging the audience to practice gratitude and to avoid comparing their own calamities or survivorship journeys with others, emphasizing that every survivor's experience is unique and valid.