When I was diagnosed with cancer, one thing I really was prepared for was the fight during treatment. I knew I was going to have surgery. I knew I was going to get radiation. What I was not fully prepared for was everything that came after.

Having been a former outpatient at a pediatric health center, it was a unique experience for me to be on the other side of the fence talking about the experience of pediatric patients transitioning from pediatric to adult health care. I had the opportunity to catch up with Mike Lang last week to ask him about his adventure therapy organization, Survive & Thrive Expeditions.

I take my role as a Colondar model very seriously. When a patient first gets diagnosed with colon cancer, or any cancer, and sees that there a dozen people this year, and dozens more previously, who have not only survived, but thrived, it makes them feel that they can be one as well.

The Stupid Cancer Road Trip was a collaborative effort between Stupid Cancer and Volkswagen to promote the cause of young adult cancer. We're looking forward to returning to Vegas this year, and plan on repeating the road trip in partnership with the Chevy Volt team.

The diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer has had the most profound impact on my life. I have had to learn to live differently. I have no intention of going out without a fight, but if I have learned anything it is that I must make the most of every day.

My career was going very well, I was healthy in every usual sense of the word, until this rare condition became a problem. Drawing on "entitlements" at a young age was not my plan. No one saw this coming, but thank goodness for those safety-net programs our country has in place.

One of the terms I have hated most when I finished cancer treatment was "new normal." I didn't want to be different. But recently, I have started to accept the fact that I am not the same person I was before I had gone through my battle with cancer.

You might wonder why I've decided to write, rather than just curse you in silence. Writing to you certainly won't make my Valentine better. But there's a small chance it might resonate with someone noticing a change in his own body and convince him to bring his concerns to his doctor.

Don't use the cancer card to have your school workload reduced, to cheat on tests, or get paid to do nothing. Use it instead to get the big piece of chicken at dinner.

Young adults face a slew of unique challenges when it comes to cancer -- from dating and sex, to finances, to career interruptions, to the fact that our cure rates haven't caught up with other age groups. We juggle all this while trying to stay alive at the same time.

Although I had my network of support in my family, friends and doctors, once I started introducing myself to these fellow cancer fighters I realized that they were providing me something valuable that my caregivers could not

When I was going through my cancer journey, I did it alone. Sure, there were a couple of thoughtful, older guys who were living with prostate cancer who told me that everything would be okay. And while I appreciated their kindness, their journey wasn't quite like mine.

I've been sick since I was 10 months old. When I was diagnosed with cancer in college, the trauma of the illness just added another layer to something I already knew. Living your life twice is no easy feat. But that's what I am trying to do.

Today, we're launching a new series on HuffPost Healthy Living called Generation Why, exploring the unique set of issues facing today's young adult cancer patients and survivors. Their stories are equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring.