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“She succumbed to the exact same cancer that I had been lucky enough to survive. Could this really be the only aspect of our experience that led to our differing outcomes...luck? My god luck? Her bad luck? Seems unfair, right? Well, it is.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Stephanie is my hero and we battled cancer together. It wasn't ever my victory or even our victory. It was God's victory and he allowed us to share it together.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“If I had to summarize it with one word it would be HOPE. Never lose hope.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Some of this is difficult to put into words and almost a little embarrassing, but can we became my identity for 18 months of my life. I didn’t have a conversation with anyone outside of my close circle of family or friends that didn’t revolve around having cancer or treating cancer.
-Kyle”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“This was not going to be an easy experience, but let me say this as clearly as I know how; nothing anybody says can prepare you for what lay ahead... nothing. I considered myself a tough human being. I was a soldier. Like, not a "No Limit" soldier or "soldier for life" ...like an actual United States soldier, for crying out loud.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“I always felt like it was out of place, kind of like the idea that you're sitting in jail and lean over and ask the guy next to you, "Hey, buddy...What are you in for?" The irony is, most of them ...maybe not all but most wanted to talk. They/we have a story to tell. It is our story of survival ...our story of fighting the great battle and hoping to come through victorious.
-Kyle”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“We were not mentally prepared for this option. It was overwhelming. What do we tell our boys, how will they react? You have a hundred thoughts racing through your head, and they are all maneuvering for the ability to create clarity amidst the confusion, but they cannot.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“To this day, one of my great regrets in life is that I did not deploy in 2013 with the group of men and women whom I spent so much time growing close to. I cherish the memories that I have while in uniform and have learned to understand that everything is in God's timing, not mine.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“As it turned out, everyone knew that I had cancer. That is, everyone except me.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“It was in that moment that not only did I experience my lowest point through my cancer journey, but as I look back, I realize that I also experienced one of my most empowering.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“My name is Brett Cordes and I just want to let you know that I'm standing here right now because you saved my life 12 years ago." There. Was. Silence. "I know who you are," his voice quivered just above a whisper as he walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed my father's letter. "Your father wrote me this letter about a year after you finished treatment, and I've kept it ever since and show it to all my residents and fellows ...to show them why we do what we do.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“I want to show people that even a disease like this cannot break my spirits. In fact, I want to make people feel what I feel ...lucky to experience this day to day routine we call "life." I want to be a source of inspiration to people who think that life has dealt them an unfair hand. Because if you have your health as I will, then be thankful because not everyone has that luxury.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“You must realize that having cancer affects not only you, but everyone who cares for you as well. I had realized this after only one year of treatment, but I don't think I've ever truly understood how hard the experience was for my family.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“See, what had happened was that the Versed had caused retrograde amnesia, the side-effects of the Morphine disappearing caused my bowels to start moving again, and the alcohol I guess had just prevented my mind from appreciating these facts until the last possible second ...or not. Good times.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“But every time I felt upset, depressed, or plain pissed off, I remembered a piece of advice a former English teacher had give me: "Why wait until tomorrow to feel better?" This made complete sense to me when I'd thought how many times I'd thought, "Well, tomorrow will be another day... a new day!" What's wrong with today? What's wrong with right now?”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“I had been looking forward to actually beginning to fight this disease, this foreign invader that had kidnapped my spirit and ransacked my body )like the Dothraki in Game of Thrones would have certainly done.)”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“When I was initially diagnosed with cancer, I questioned God's reasoning for giving me such a debilitating disease. But then it dawned on me: He chose me to give this disease because He knew that I could handle it!”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Cancer represents a very specific, emotional uniqueness of your body failing you, generally through no fault of your own. But please know that no matter how hard or bad you believe your situation to be, there is somebody out there who's got it worse.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Fighting the disease is hard enough, even when you are completely focused on just that. Extra time and effort spent worrying about the situation can be detrimental to your body's physical health.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Having cancer, fighting cancer, and beating cancer have been THE defining events in my life, and though it was the most terrifying, I know that it has changed me for the better, forever.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“I never let anyone see me cry or feel sorry for myself. Attitude and the will to live is so important during and after treatment that if you don't have a good attitude or a strong will to live, treatment doesn't work.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“I was given fluid and another blood transfusion, after which I felt like I could conquer the world! This process would become my normal: chemo, get horribly sick, trip to Assessment, fluid, blood transfusion, feel better.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Mrs. Teague, I am sorry, but you have metastatic Ovarian Cancer."

After about a minute or two, I turned back to him and looked at him and said, "No, I have two small children!”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Depression set in. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, I couldn't concentrate at work. I didn't want to get out of bed.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“Inside I was freaking out! OMG! His hair is falling out! This just got real.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease

“We went to different schools, but none-the-less, he was my very first friend.”
― Brett M. Cordes, Cancer Is for Older People: How Young Minds Beat an Old Disease