"There is no good cancer" - @ohyouresotough Interview with artist Chelsey Gomez
“That’s why I tried to talk so openly about even the very painful experiences that I’ve had, because...I never want anyone to get cancer, but if they get cancer, I want them to be able to come to my page, see this is something that is normal, understand that it’s not them, it’s another person and how they process it. And be able to see that there is a way forward and there is a community of people that understand.”
Chelsey Gomez is a young artist and a two-time survivor of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After getting the first diagnosis in 2018 and hearing about the impact the treatment would have on her life, Chelsey decided she wanted to do something to express all the things that come with a life-changing diagnosis. Embracing many of the crappy things that come along with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, Chelsey's artwork, books, and message to the world is funny, relatable, positive, and unapologetic. She inspires young adults with cancer to be themselves and that it's okay to have bad days. She has expanded from lymphoma to include other cancers and chronic diseases, always with a message to define your illness on your terms and to enjoy life regardless. Her journey through Hodgkin's treatment is inspiring, and we love that she uses her experience to encourage others to laugh and be themselves.
Chelsey is the owner of the cancer awareness brand Ohyouresotough which sells humorous nontraditional cancer products on Etsy. She has also developed an online community on Instagram, which aims to change the way society views cancer patients, especially young adult cancer patients. She resides in Florida with her husband Michael and her daughter Luna.
Watch the interview below and show her some support by buying some hilarious items via her Etsy page or following her on Instagram (@Ohyouresotough), Facebook, and YouTube.
“When I did relapse, I had an oncologist that didn’t understand that this happens. Like I think they were underprepared to deal with that. And I remember even one of my first appointments, them telling me it was the good cancer, the greatest cancer to have. And I was like, what? Like there is no good cancer.”
Interview Transcript
LYNDSAY: Hi, I'm Lyndsay Springer from the Chike Springer Foundation. As an organization, we're trying to lift up the entire lymphoma community and really be that connector and facilitator within the community, connecting people and organizations doing so many amazing things for the community. Today we're interviewing Chelsey Gomez, who is a creative who makes posters, stickers, coloring books, and she just finished a children's book about cancer treatment. She is known for her eye-catching, colorful artwork that is edgy and real. And many people relate to her honest and raw approach. I love her IG handle @Ohyouresotough. And she has her own Etsy shop by the same name. Welcome, Chelsey.
CHELSEY: Thank you for having me.
LYNDSAY: So to get started, we just have you tell us a little bit more about your story and what inspires some of your artwork.
CHELSEY: So I am a two time survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma. I was first diagnosed in 2018, and then it relapsed in 2019. And I was a mother. I had a daughter that was turning three. My first was diagnosed. Just, you know, living life like a regular 28 year old until I couldn't anymore. So I went on to have a stem cell transplant, which is great. I reached remission because of that and really because my daughter was home with me during the pandemic, and while I was recovering, I looked for an outlet to kind of process something. I had all the things I had gone through and I started drawing. I was not working as an artist, nothing like that prior to this. But I just started putting the, what you're saying, the raw, real emotions of what cancer is and what it makes you feel like. And started sharing it on Instagram and almost immediately started getting people that were like, I didn't know anybody else felt like this and I didn't know anybody else felt like that either. So that true, raw firsthand experience is what I pull from to make my art.
LYNDSAY: Yeah. And I think you do an amazing job, like really capturing some of the things that aren't necessarily captured by patient advocacy groups and something that, as a caregiver, maybe even I can't capture, but I could relate to it, once I saw some of your artwork and some of the things you express, I was like, 'Oh, I, I get that. I understand.' And I think it's really powerful. And I just I really love the way that you present it and kind of, you know, add to it because that that is part of the story, that's part of the journey. And it's really important for people to understand that, that piece of it.
Can you tell me a little bit more about your diagnosis and kind of, you know, how that changed you and made you more feeling like you had to contribute to this community and kind of, you know, create your own voice in the space?
“When I relapsed, I felt really alone. And so one day I just kind of turned on the camera and started talking because I thought if I put my experiences out there, at least if I do not make it, that this will be like a guidebook for somebody else. And so that’s where it all started.”
CHELSEY: So the first time I got diagnosed with cancer, I was like probably the typical cancer patient that thinks like, "Oh, it'll just be a little time in my life. I will get through it. I'll move on." And I soon went back to work right after I got done with chemo the first time. I think it was only six weeks after because I kind of wanted to put cancer behind me, or at least that's what I thought. So I didn't deal with a lot of things that happened to me. And so I remember just driving home one day from work and kind of having like a breakdown, like, oh my god, I had cancer. Like, this isn't good. And then when I relapsed, the world came crashing down on me. Really, because I was so angry. Like I put in my time. I did my time of my life. Like, I'm done with this. And that's the first time I really thought like, oh, no, I may not make it. And so when that happened, it prompted me to make videos. I started making more videos on my YouTube channel. I had one before. It was nothing to do with cancer, but I had been dormant on it because I got pregnant. I had my daughter. And so when I relapsed, I felt really alone. And so one day I just kind of turned on the camera and started talking because I thought if I put my experiences out there, at least if I do not make it, that this will be like a guidebook for somebody else. And so that's where it all started. And I guess I never set out to be any of the things that I am or appear to be today. Like as far as like I've always been outspoken, but I never said, like, I'm going to make a community, I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that. It just was organic and people started connecting with me and I connected back. And I think that's, you know, sometimes a better way to do things because, you know, there are certain…not to take away from anything anyone's doing. But sometimes people can't relate if it's too, like, corporate or if it's too buttoned up. And I've never been that way. I've just I've always been positive but real about what things are.
LYNDSAY: Yeah, I think. I think that's important. You're very real. And I said raw, but you're always very positive. And I think that honesty, that realness, really resonates with your artwork. But I think that's what it makes it so relatable and makes people, you know, want to follow you and kind of hear what you have to say because, you just, you're really great at capturing it for those maybe that can't express themselves or, you know, are in the middle of the journey. Like you said, even I remember when Chike went through his first treatment, you know, we're like, 'okay, yep. Back to regular life.' He immediately enrolled back in school because he was in the middle of school and then he was like, "It's not going to come back," like no big deal, and he relapsed as well. And as you know, he had non-Hodgkin's, but for Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's, a relapse is very under-researched. It's bad as far as what's the next step. Hodgkin's has pretty good cure rates still, but for non-Hodgkin's, that survivability rate drops down pretty low, especially for AYAs. They're just not separated out within the research. So we call that's an under-researched group that we really focus on.
So as an AYA, why do you think it's important to share the perspective from AYAs that are going through cancer treatment journeys instead of focusing on…there's the children's group, which is obviously very important as well, but then the older adults group…so from an AYA, what do you think...why is that perspective very important to share?
“I didn’t choose this. Nobody chooses this. I just want to live. And so when you get ghosted by your friends and you don’t know that that’s a common experience through AYAs, you might think that it’s you. And what did you do other than try not to die?”
CHELSEY: Similar to what you're talking about, like when I did relapse, I had an oncologist that didn't understand that this happens. Like I think they were underprepared to deal with that. And I remember even one of my first appointments, them telling me it was the good cancer, the greatest cancer to have. And I was like, what? Like there is no good cancer. And so I actually ended up transferring my care to Mayo Clinic, which is excellent there. But I still always felt like I was a baby, like inside of a real, you know, like or they look at me like, why are you here? And people who would see me in the waiting room wouldn't think that I was supposed to be there. And it was hard because, you know, everyone at our age is getting married, having children and moving up in their career. Like, I got married, I had children. But, you know, a lot of my life was defined by my career and all of a sudden it was ripped away from me. And who was I anymore? What was I more than cancer? And there weren't a lot of people who talked about all the stuff that we talk about now. There really… I remember I made a video saying that, "let me know if you need anything," it's like one of the worst things you can say and why. And I got a lot of flack for it through YouTube because people are like, 'What, we're just meaning this as something nice.' And it's like, but you're not understanding what I mean. And, you know, you get left behind by your friends, especially when you relapse. People are like, sick of hearing that you have cancer like they're over it. Like the novelty has worn off, but you're just like, you know, I didn't choose this. Nobody chooses this. Like, I just want to live. And so when you get ghosted by your friends and you don't know that that's a common experience through AYAs, you might think that it's you. And what did you do other than try not to die? And that's where I was at many times. And so, like, that's why I tried to talk so openly about even the very painful experiences that I've had, because I want someone to, you know, I never want anyone to get cancer, but if they get cancer, I want them to be able to come to my page, see if this is something that is normal, understand that it's not them, it's another person. And how they process it and be able to see that there is a way forward and there is a community of people that understand. And, you know, it's not them.
“And it was hard because everyone at our age is getting married, having children and moving up in their career. I got married, I had children. But, you know, a lot of my life was defined by my career and all of a sudden it was ripped away from me. And who was I anymore? What was I more than cancer?”
LYNDSAY: Yeah. No, I completely agree. A lot of people just don't know what to say or do, so they just don't. And so it can be really weird, especially, like you said, this age group, because you're worrying about so many other things as well as like, are we doing the right treatment? Do we have the right doctors? And everything that goes with the cancer diagnosis, but then also like the 'let me know if you need anything.' And then when you say, 'Yeah, actually I do, can you ring or can you do this?' And then people are like, like, you know, 'Oh, I don't want to see you.' Like some people just didn't want to see Chike sick and he didn't want people to see him sick sometimes too. So it made sense. But yeah, like, people have their own things and I really like that you brought that up. I was just part of the AYA conference with the Lymphoma Research Foundation, and that was part of a whole section was survivability. And how we look at AYAs not just like the typical 5 to 10 year, but even 20 years out and some of the different like health implications and things that that can happen or that still occur. Because that's why I say cancer treatment, even if you're done with treatment, it's still that journey where you're doing scans again and you're, you know, getting blood tests and, you know, every little ache and anything that's changing in your body, you're kind of like, what is this? What happened? And it's the anxiety piece and it's the, you know, what do they say, scanxiety?
CHELSEY: Yeah, scanxiety.
LYNDSAY: Yeah. It's all of that part of it that mentally wears you out while you're trying to, you know, achieve things in your career, raise a family, just be a normal person. So I really I really love that you highlight that and share that because not all of us have that ability to really, like I said, express ourselves. And I think you do it so well. So thank you so much. I'm so glad that we have the shared commitment to awareness and bringing these perspectives to light.
Anything else you'd like to add? Please do so now.
CHELSEY: I guess, the one thing that we don't talk about enough to that is being underserved and this goes hand in hand is like mental health during cancer, especially with people in this age group. There's a lot of things that, you know, oncologist has to talk to you about. And unfortunately, they're focused on the cancer, not so much on the person as a whole. And so I really see a big gap to where survivorship like you're speaking about. I know I went to a huge hospital that's well known all across the country. I still don't have a survivorship plan. There was nothing planned for me. I just kind of like, uh, is my heart good? And everything good?? Like, you know, I don't know. And there needs to be more than like the typical 'see you in three months at your next scan.' Like you just kind of feel like you went from a safe bubble of being scanned and looked at and taken care of. And then all of a sudden you're pushed off the ledge like, good luck. Go back to your life and your life doesn't exist the way that you once thought it would or should or. You know what I mean?
LYNDSAY: Yeah, no, absolutely. I felt like, you know, at one point they're doing bloodwork every 8 hours and then they're like, okay, we'll check you in three days. And you're like, What? Like, every day it starts to, you know, go to daily, then to three. But still then they're like, okay, well, you know, we'll scan you in six weeks. And you're like, I don't feel comfortable.
CHELSEY: I'm at scans now. And so like, it's a great milestone, don't get me wrong, but I'm still in my head. It's like, what if something happened because something has happened, you know? And so it's like, okay, you, you appreciate not having to go to the hospital and not having to be there and have that waiting anxiety. But at the same time, it's almost like a safety net to be like, okay I know for sure nothing's going on or you know, or if it is that we can address it. So yeah, totally, totally understand that.
LYNDSAY: I think it's very important because I think mental health was the biggest piece, just dealing with everything with the ups and downs, especially since Chike's treatment never worked. And so we were always constantly deciding on something else and just felt like we could never like breathe.
“The one thing that we don’t talk about enough...is being underserved and this goes hand in hand [with] mental health during cancer, especially with people in [the AYA] age group. There are a lot of things that an oncologist has to talk to you about, and unfortunately, they’re focused on the cancer, not so much on the person as a whole.”