Cancer is no laughing matter, and we should not debunk the seriousness of this topic. But, dwelling on the severity of cancer can cause unnecessary stress and negatively affect your recovery. Sometimes, when life happens, we should simply laugh and keep laughing. But why?
Now, laughter cannot prevent cancer, but many credit laughter as what helped them fight (and survive) cancer. When we get lost in the whirlwind of life’s responsibilities and challenges, we typically aren’t in the mood to laugh, especially if we’re in pain or under stress. But it is choosing to laugh in these moments that help us bring levity to the situation. Laughter is like “a booster shot to your resilience,” with the only side effect of shedding a tear of joy after hearing a really good joke or a super outrageous story. Likewise, Max Miller in my book, ‘Hold on please, Emily,’ served as the comedic component to my story to remind us that laughter IS the best medicine when things get tough.
On August 27th, Technoblade announced via video post on YouTube why he was on a two-month hiatus. This popular 22-year-old Minecraft YouTuber is known for as the Potato King of Hypixel SkyBlock. His success in The Great Potato War, which was a battle between the users im_a_squid_kid and Technoblade, where the first to reach 500 million Potato Collection would be crowned the champion. Technoblade, the unsung hero, came out on top as the #1 Potato Farmer, and that led to his popularity and success on YouTube with now over 8.7 million subscribers.
In this video, Technoblade revealed that he originally thought the pain he felt in his right arm was a stress-related injury from too much gaming. But, when his shoulder began to swell, Technoblade thought it could have been a broken bone so went to the hospital. It was there, on August 2nd, when he was given the devastating cancer diagnosis. The pain in his arm was caused by a tumour; since that diagnosis, he has started chemotherapy.
Although the news is quite a shock to the Minecraft world, what I find very inspiring about Technoblade’s response to the whole situation is his positive attitude. He can still be sarcastic and jokingly talk about his chemo treatments, and feel comfortable enough to share the news to millions of people he may have never met before. The strength and courage I see in Technoblade is what will help him fight this.
Everyone here on Team #HoldOnPlease Emily wish Technoblade and his family all the best as he battles cancer. Thank you for sharing your cancer story with us and inspiring others to find strength through laughter. After all, laughter just might be the best medicine after all.
Final thoughts
Check out the September edition of ‘Hold On‘ to read the full article. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, you can get access to read my digital magazine here.