Jace Yawnick of Jace Beats Cancer on the ‘Roller Coaster’ of Life in Remission

Jace Yawnick is sharing his cancer journey with the world.

Now 26, Yawnick was 25 when he received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He began documenting his experience with the disease and treatment immediately, and quickly amassed an online following. He now has more than 801,000 followers on Instagram, 136,000 followers on TikTok and 34,000 followers on Facebook.

Yawnick, who lives in Florida and underwent treatment including chemotherapy, told CURE® he is in a state of technical remission, and he considers himself to have beaten cancer.

“I act and I speak like I’m completely done [with cancer], and for the most part, I am,” he said during the interview.

He does, however, have a cystic mass remaining in his chest, and he’s waiting on a scan to determine if the mass has grown, stayed stable or shrunk.

“If it’s shrinking, then I will finally be able to be done and ring the remission bell and get off all of my medications,” Yawnick said.

He told CURE® that he feels good and confident, although he faces some level of uncertainty and anxiety, and that he is taking everything one say at a time.

For more from Jace Yawnick, including information on his non-profit organization Jace Beats Cancer, his advice for patients at the beginning of their own cancer journeys and his thoughts on what has been the most surprising aspect of his cancer experience so far, watch our full conversation on the CURE® YouTube channel.

Transcript:

What has life after treatment been like?

It has been a roller coaster. I thought it was really going to be just a parade of happiness, and [about how] I'm done with treatment and all that. I've shockingly been more challenged with feelings of anxiety and sadness, and I don't want to say depression, but I've felt depressive-like feelings after treatment, and it's been very challenging. So for that reason, I've been seeking out therapy.

But those feelings are not alone. They also are mixed with a true level of appreciation for so many things. They say appreciate the small things; I have an understanding of that like I never did before. So, although it's challenging, and although it is a road to continue to recover and deal with these emotions, gratitude remains something that is the foundation of my every day and allows me to put a smile on my face even when I want to frown and allows me to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and has allowed me to stay as optimistic as I can that I'm going to keep beating this and that I will continue to heal and get better every day.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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