What do you do after cancer treatment? 

It sounds like a form of grief. Like you are going through a process grieving your experience. It’s a process of rebirth and finding your new normal after trauma. I suggest journaling if you’re not already. You’re doing so great and you are so smart and kind. We are all so proud of you!

illness, whether acute or chronic, forces you to grieve the plans (past and future) and ideas you had for your life and reassess. the world is made anew in this way again & again. this is one of the hardest parts of illness that people don't understand until they go through it.

Just finished chemo #6 for endometrial cancer. And the first thing i thought of was to go to Vegas too! First time watching. My sweet niece sent me your video today 🙏🧡😘

This reminds me of my favorite quote, “Be still, listen to the silence and let your soul catch up.”

I am still in active treatment for breast cancer. Tomorrow begins my second week of radiation. I am nearly twice Grace's age, old enough you'd think to be able to take most things in my stride, but this experience has been a revelation. I have always thought of myself as an empathetic person, but I now know I hadn't a clue. There is no way to imagine the full impact, physical and emotional, of a cancer diagnosis until you receive one yourself.

Yes, what DO you do after? I'm a stage IV melanoma cancer patient and I go through weird phases where everything seems fine for about six months or so, and then things pick back up again. I've been in this cycle now for five years! Knowing when to chill, when to go into "lets just power through this" mode, and when I should be worried is exhausting. After being in such a state of shock/powering though, I know it feels weird to have nothing happening. Try to enjoy this time, appreciate "normal" life, and do something fun! It's a milestone you've hit.

Ironically enough, I’m playing your video so that I’m not alone with my thoughts. I really relate to filling the silence and not wanting to be alone with my thoughts. I play podcasts/RU-vid videos 80% of my day so that I’m not stuck with my own brain. You’ve challenged me to “easy madam perhaps today you really opt out mmkay”. Starting small I will try showering with playing a podcast and really sit with the silence or the thoughts/feelings that come with it.

Two-year breast cancer survivor here. Thank you for sharing your experience. I have made a lot of progress in processing my own grief, but I definitely still struggle. I find your videos very helpful and comforting.

"My ability to repress and move forward is pretty outstanding"-- I so feel that. Thank you, again, for sharing your experiences. They've helped me see into the experiences of my aunt going through the same treatment. This video, though, feels like it talks about the ubiquitous experience of our generation right now, so thank you for that too!

Grace, that card hit me like a ton of bricks, too. My dad passed away January 2023 and I've been handling a bunch of heavy legal shit for that. I haven't ever had time to just sit and grieve. We're coming to the end of it now and I am genuinely worried about what's next for me. I don't know where my heart and head will go when I don't have "stuff to do." Anyway .. I'm so happy to see you smiling and thriving! You're doing the best you can and that's totally enough. ❤

What I * am* happy about, is that it sounds like you’re conquering this, which is awesome. You’ve always struck me as a nice human, and I appreciate it when nice persons get to continue their niceness. My mom had cancer four times, four separate types of cancer, and kicked them all - but she also had military healthcare which I don’t. If there’s anything I take away from all of that, is that I want universal healthcare, so everyone CAN afford to get the medical care they need. Period.

I am so so so so glad that people are getting warned about this phase of the experience now. That's a newer thing, before it was really easy to feel lost and get really whalloped by the complex emotions and weirdness of that time after treatment when your brain finally has a moment to go "what the hell happened to me?" at the same time as you're celebrating being done but also adjusting to things being different now. I hope you continue to have support and guidance as you navigate this stage.

cancer survivor here, 4 years NED in august and i still dont know what im doing

I’m so so happy for you, Grace!!! I’ve never been close to enduring something like what you’ve been through, but I hope if I ever do, I’m able to face it with the poise you have!! 💜💜💜

10 year survivor here, I related to so much of this still!!! The empty room card, just wow. And less seriously also cried at the bachelor

Yessss. I totally didn’t process treatment until after I was done. I was in survival mode. It’s a lot. This is all so accurate.

Holyyyy shit Grace this could not have come at a better time. I had a stem cell transplant in July and my jaw literally dropped when you said the thing about tunnel vision because that is essentially word for word what I said to my doctor at my last appointment where I also had a little emotional breakdown! I think we are grieving so many things - grieving that we went through such a horrible thing, grieving the sadness our loved ones went through, grieving the person we were before cancer, and for me at least, grieving people who didn’t make it. Non-cancer folks really underestimate how hard it is once you’re in remission and you’re just supposed to be a normal human now and it’s just not possible lol. Thank you so much for this video, every damn thing you said resonates with me so hard and I am having the exact same uncomfortable experiences. I really might need to invest in a tarot deck because I loved that!!

I lived at a treatment facility for neurological disorders for 5 months in 2022. Leaving that and coming home was CRAZY. It took months to get reacclimated to normal life with my hubs and daughter. Thank you for sharing your journey! ❤❤

this color blue looks amazing on you, grace!

F*k around and find out... but make it purposeful and actually good for our path..going with the flow and learning as we grow...that ending really resonated with me.. this whole video spoke so deeply to me and where I am at in my own chaotic medical journey and struggle right now.. just still in the trenches and about to meet the next doctor that could change my life and fiiinally bring the healing i have so desperately been needing. Here's to hoping I get to the point where I can also bring my head up out of the proverbial sand too and resurface in my own life. Medical shit sucks on another level. Proud of you Grace ❤ Please keep sharing your journey, it's helping more than you know 🙏

I’ve never had to deal with cancer, but I was born with Spina Bifida which leaves me wheelchair bound. So I’ve been at war with my body my entire life and sometimes life just feels like it’s too much to deal with as a normal functioning human, but add a limitation of not being able to walk and it’s just that much harder. What you’re feeling is normal. Very normal. The fact that you can talk about it, is improvement.

Watching your journey, Grace, and hoping beyond hope that my dad will get the same results. You're a little ahead, so it was a good process for me, seeing your stages and learning about what to expect. I am grateful that you decided to share this entire thing with us. That being said.. CONGRATULATIONS!! I am so happy for you! You did it! You smashed it, you kicked it in the balls. Wishing for you to get through this phase with ease, and I'm sure you'll come out stronger on the other side. Being emotionally all over the place is never fun, but I know it always feels like you're made of stronger stuff after you get through it. You got this!

The cards ALWAYS know!! Thank you for sharing, as always Grace!

Grace, your impact has been felt by all of us, we are all grateful for you. I know I am since I first saw you on attack of the show. It’s time you know that we support you for who you are and we love you :) have fun at Vegas you deserve it :)

I loved this Grace. I went through a really toxic breakup and it took almost 6 months for me to fine feel okay in an empty room, what a great analogy

Would recommend the book "It's Not Always Depression" by Hilary Jacobs Hendel for help with processing that complex cocktail of emotions you have going on Grace!

Been there with you when we were dressing to repress and with you while we are feeling our feelings and going through some major shit. I am so glad to be on the planet with you. You've always been good company during the hard parts. Enjoy Vegas!

I have not endured anything like you have in the past several months, but I am coming out of a situation that was emotionally draining and exhausting and challenging, and your last sentiment, "There's a lot of wisdom in that damn silence" really resonated with me. I am skilled at the art of sitting in the empty room because I've had to be. But this last couple months, I have hated that silence, even though I know it's necessary to sit with it. Today, while talking with my mom, I was reminded that sitting with the discomfort is so important, and with your video saying the same thing, it's all a very, very good reminder. So going forward, as the things settle down, I'm going to make an effort to sit in that empty room a bit more. Beautiful reminder, thank you so much. Have the greatest time in Vegas. Sending you all the love and hugs!

Thank you so so so much for sharing Grace. My mom is wrapping up her breast cancer journey and is in the same boat. Videos like this mean a lot to the both of us xoxoxo

Absolutely LOVE the empty room acronym and will absolutely be using 😌 once again thank you for making my life better with your wisdom Grace ❤

Even though most of what you're going through doesn't really apply to myself, watching your sit and talk about it and talk through it is actually really helpful. Even if it's not directly applicable it's a good reminder to be aware and introspective. I hope you'll continue doing this

Oh Grace….I am so happy to see you in good spirits. I can only imagine what you have gone through, what you are currently dealing with, and what the future holds for you. All I can say is that I am one of the very many that are rooting for you, your health, happiness and growth from here. Thank you for allowing us into your life in such an intimate way and giggle through the highs and low times with you.

It’s amazing what we can do when we have to. Your Grace and poise are remarkable, and you are a positive inspiration for so many people. Have fun in Vegas, Grace and Elliott. Stay sweet and take care. ♎️☮️

Grace you have always been and continue to be a sigh of relief and a source of laughter, joy and knowledge on RU-vid! I am so proud to see you done with treatment and bursting with the endless possibilities that arise after (once your brain says hey we're not dying anymore! fun!). Like you said, sit with the emptiness and you'll know, eventually. May your star shine brighter. God bless you.

Grace is back!! ❤ I wish for you to have absolute approval for yourself and a peaceful relationship with your struggles because of your inner strength. ✨😘

I have an “incurable “ cancer 3 years of treatment and recovery, 6 years on and I’m still cancer free. It’s hard and emotionally exhausting. It’s not something that goes, but you can get through it and someone like you will be fine. Don’t put pressure on yourself, just be.

I am so happy to see you recovering well Grace! Thank you for taking us along this journey with you. I hope you have the best time in vegas! I can't wait to see more cooking with Grace Videos!

I don't know either. I'm still in cancer treatment with Keytruda and it'll probably take years. Positive is that it is so effective and doesn't have many side effects. Negative, the money and it will take forever to finish. So I'm kinda just chilling I guess

this really helps people who have people they love going thru this to understand the physical emotional upheaval cancer patients endure.

I was diagnosed around the same time as you and I watched your journey as I was on mine like a buddy doing this with me. But this part!! The after part!! It’s so crazy thanks so much for talking about this. It helps me find words for it too.

I love this. Always a relatable muppett. The empty room card is wild, that's my brain everyday. Please keep sharing these insights because I feel calm when I watch. Laughing is always a bonus too!! You rule Helbig!!

It is absolutely wild and beautiful to see how much you have gone through but much more importantly grown through! You've become such an incredible human being over the years! So happy for your new chapter in life. I first subscribed to you in 2012. I was in highschool just absolutely spiralling, and your videos gave me such an anchor in life. You inspired me to get into video and now 12 years later im a professional videographer and living the dream! Thank you for being you Grace Helbig. You're an incredible human being and so important to so many of us!

Wow, Grace. First - continuing to send you healing thoughts and prayers - healing and growth for both body and soul. Second - THANK YOU!! I so needed to hear the message of the empty room. Especially that "sit with the impatience" (youch!!) - thank you for sharing and discussing it. ❤

I just saw the clip of your voice over of all the things that need happen right now in Hank's video and wanted to pop over here and watch the whole thing. I'm glad so glad you're post-treatment. I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in October of last year and was lucky enough that it was caught early enough, I didn't need to do radiation or chemo, just had a full hysterectomy. So I'm cancer free and I have no idea what to do with it. I feel like I'm both in the fast lane and at a complete stand-still. And clearly, I don't have enough words or the right words or even decent words to describe it all. I'm not who I am, but I'm exactly who I was, just maybe a little more. I want to do all and nothing, too. And I want to not feel all the feelings never and at once. The whole process is...for lack of words, weird. Give yourself grace, pun only slightly intended. None of this is easy. Much love and peace. P.S. I started using my own deck more afterwards as well. 💜

As a Nevada resident, I’m gonna absolutely make a shirt that says “If I’m gonna be a fucking lunatic I might as well be in Las Vegas.”

Your looking great kiddo! Gooood afternoon from central Florida! Hope everyone has a great afternoon!

I've been learning tarot recently and have been loving it. It's like having my own personal therapist. It really does just make you think about what you're currently going through, or what might be coming up that's causing you excitement or stress. No religion here either, but the cards are helpful for guidance! Anyway, I love seeing your face in a new video pop up in my subscriptions, it's always a delight

Hiiiii Grace I love this video I needed this in here for distractions from my depression :( thank you for the smiles laughs and life help

Hi! I'm a long-time subscriber who unsubscribed during your burnout/podcast/master's hiatus. This video popped up in my recommendations yesterday which led me to binge watch your whole cancer journey, beginning to end. I just want to say that I found your cancer videos surprisingly positive and uplifting. Not the type of content I ever thought I needed in my life, but alas, I did. I'm glad you're alive, I'm glad you're back uploading, I'm glad I'm back as a subscriber. Thank you Grace for filming your cancer journey, and thank you algorithm for bringing me back here. 💛💚🧡

Resonated with this so deeply. I’ve been in recovery from an eating disorder for a hot minute and it’s so easy after being hospitalised and missing out- to want to get back to doing all of the things healthy me loved doing. And life feels like it goes on hold when you’re literally fighting for your life because without your health you have nothing- but then there’s this huge grey area of feeling like you’re not where you want to be or that you aren’t living yet. And what does life even look like now?!? It’s so weird and a big adjustment but YAY to celebrating where you’re at and sitting with the discomfort for a while. Such a testament to what you’ve been through and what’s to come. If being knocked down has taught us anything, it’s that it’s okay to be a little undistracted and present for a while. Fuck yeah to this new chapter. So happy for you Grace 🥹😭

So close to home right now ... ! I graduated college in December and have been *struggling* with the job hunt since. Woke up spiraling and have been having a tough morning. Lack of external validation, lack of money, etc... Sitting with the empty room is uh, difficult. Right on the mark. Not quite as life-altering or grief-inducing as medical stuff but it has certainly been putting me through the ringer. Thank you for being so open about mental health stuff through your process !

Thank you for sharing your journey. You are helping so many people… in so many ways!

I started therapy during chemo. And it helped me process what the hell happened to me. Im trying to find the new person i am now. You have always cheered me up grace, thank you for being you❤

I get so excited when I get new Grace to watch!! Please f' around, and upload because you are my favorite 😊❤

Congratulations Grace!!! You’re an mf-ing rockstar Love to you and Elliot ❤ xx

Always a pleasure to see and hear you! I struggle with doing nothing, and fill any void with distractions too... Ya right, gotta work on that! To answer your question, how about doing one thing after the other, and congratulating yourself for it? Like this video, for example... GJ, you! GJ! 👍👍👍

GIRL, your cards have your number!! 😆My decks always read me SO HARD too 💗 But it sounds like they also have your back.

You’re pretty cool, Grace. Thanks for being so honest. This is gonna help so many people understand that what they’re feeling is okay.

Sometimes, the only thing you can do for yourself is cry. Your body is still working on regulating, on getting back to “normal”, you aren’t doing nothing 😊 don’t put too much pressure on yourself if you can help it! I’m also talking to myself. I’m giving birth in a few weeks and I cry all the time for all of the reasons.

Thank you for making this video Grace. I went through radiation treatment last year and am still trying to figure out how to live in the silent empty room. For me I connect that with post treatment and not having as much support and people around. Sure there are still people around but the kind of support during treatment is so much different. I spent a little too much time during radiation by myself in my head I decided to apply for my undergrad. Thankfully I started after treatment but being in the silence wanted me to do something. Sending so much love from one survivor to the next 💖😊

Thank you for sharing your experience Grace, it helped me immensely when I had a breast cancer client recently ❤

Grace, you are so insightful and have such a way of expressing what you are going through...it is so inspirational. I hope you have a blast in Vegas and just keep enjoying every day!! You are amazing ❤

Continued prayers for healing ❤️❤️❤️

The treatment period is a lot mentally and emotionally, and then the recovery period is a whole lot more, because of the feelings and thoughts you pushed away, suddenly you feel like you can breathe again, but no, here's all the stuff you wouldn't let yourself feel. I've found that taking all of that, one at a time, and processing it, has helped a lot. Let yourself feel, it's ok. You just went through an intense treatment. This is 100% normal, and yeah, it's weird picking your own life back up and going forward, but then you kind of have this thing looming over you. My brain injury has become a huge part of my life, and I find myself excited to tell people my story. It's all crazy, but time really does heal wounds. Enjoy Vegas, Grace, and I eagerly await your next update.

My mother just beat cancer and she’s back to traveling and going out to see the world. I am happy that you can continue commenting on your comments, sing about meat, fashion show comments, and bringing your energy in full force to the world.

I really relate to the thing of trying to make up for lost time. It’s like pre cancer i was like « shit im so behind in life im doing life wrong shit shit », then cancer : « the only way of doing life right is to SURVIVE gurl », then post cancer « shit shit shit im doing life wrong, and now im even more behind »

love this energy from you grace. totally different but still the same as the girl I watched on the internet when I was freshly living on my own

I love this, and really appreciate you sharing your feelings here while navigating this next stage. Seeing someone be transparent about therapy/cards etc is very helpful. This helped, thank you.

I really enjoyed this video. Look at you using that Masters in depth psychology big brain, and still making it funny. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us Grace.

@ ab 4:00 when you played your thoughts I felt that so much that’s literally my brain 24/7

8:35 I can totally relate. like you'd rather keep yourself "busy" than face "yourself".

3 more treatments left. I am a little concerned about how I will do post treatments. Although the every 3 month CT scans are anxiety ridden, they do give me some piece of mind that the cancer hasn’t spread. Have a blast in Vegas and much love from Gensac, France.

So much love to you grace. I used to watch you when I was a teen. Im almost 28 now and haven't watched in a very long time, but I still love you. Im glad you're here

I'm so happy you have a support system...

I’m also a young woman whose found herself diagnosed with breast cancer. I think the part of my grieving process that I’m extra stuck at is anger. And misdirecting said anger towards those who have been nothing but ANGELS! I had anger issues before my own diagnosis, but now it’s anger on steroids 😅

Yeah, I am here... lost a job that I thought was finally one where I could grow and loved to do while it burned me out and I ended up messing up. I had not been in silence alone in months, once I did it was constant self reproachment. I am still weary but I think that maybe now I can go into the empty room without getting a beatdown from myself. Thank you for sharing this

Loved hearing about this, so much wisdom

When I finished leukemia treatment in February 2020, I launched myself into DOING things. I did a 50 hour volunteer training for a women's shelter. I got a temp job with the census. I traveled to Miami. I hosted friends. And then Covid hit. And I was in that empty room. I had to sit and wait and be patient. That post-cancer headspace comes and goes for me. Four years out it's definitely easier.

Thank you for sharing the card - I am in my own empty room! I recently lost my dog and it has been so hard to do or get hold on anything. My brain is scattered, can’t focus on anything for more than 5 minutes and I don’t have any motivation. I miss her, but it was her time to go and time for me to learn to live without a dog. For a while ❤

Bravo Grace! You are doing the shit! And the cards are definitely an excellent tool.

my sister planned out an Australia trip and then went in november. she had b cancer a year ago..no chemo but massive reconstruction....she's doing amazing now- you sound like you need have a heart to heart with your bestie or closest family member.

I know that feeling! When I came out of the worst of my health journey, it had felt like my house was on fire and the ceiling was collapsing so I was holding the roof up and trying to put out the fire at the same time. When I finally managed to do that, I realised there was a thief stealing all my stuff from inside the house and when I could finally sit I realised there was nothing left. That everything had changed. And also feeling like wanting life to wait up for me because I can finally join life again but then realising that I'll never be able to join back to where I was before and that everyone else is different too (or "ahead"). The song O children by nick cage and the bad seeds was really good for me if you want a grief or depression song and I found making a grief play list which i listened to it over a road trip and feeling the grief actually made me feel happier and able to enjoy the trip more. But yeah the crying is good and necessary, it'll end one day and maybe sooner than you think if you fully set out to feel it. I gave myself a whole 2 weeks to just let myself cry whenever I want and for as long as I want which made a big difference. I kept trying to do things but my cup was so empty, I had to receive first before I gave my energy back out to the world, so I had to just stop doing things for a bit. And eventually I found I naturally felt ready to start again after feeling everything. Also tarot got me through this whole journey too haha it's so addictive but I love it. I've been watching whitefeather tarot online haha

Love everything about you and this video. Thank you for sharing❤

so happy for you ❤

i'm so bad at sitting in silence because the voices in my head are relentlessly cruel... my therapist and i have started really working on how i can be better at that so i'm feeling called out by this video 😅😅 enjoy Vegas, girlie!!💜

I enjoy listening to your brain. The reading was relevant to me because I start a new job on Monday. Wow! 👍

I think you should make a shed load of videos, collab with the bodacious Mamrie and post the f out of them. Circuitous is one of my favourite words thanks to my satnav who hasn’t got a clue where she’s ever going. Let the shitty stuff creep in and increase your therapy if necessary, holding things in brings trouble in the future. Of course you are going to get emotional Grace, you have just faced your own mortality. When you feel anxious about doing anything have a bud and come online - I love stoned Grace and when you feel able to do stuff in the words of Nike ‘just do it’ Vegas with Elliot will be fab. Your intelligence and self awareness and exceptional humour keeps me/ has kept me happy for what seems like a lifetime. What I really want to know is are you still a ‘don’t touch me’ person ? And what I really really want to know is “have yo any plans to go to Vegas” ? You are inspiring ❤🇬🇧

I also just finished treatmet. Thanks for giving words to some feelings I was also feeling, but I couldn't give words to. But overall, SAME!

What a great card to pull for this video.

Wildly enough, my wife’s cousin just told us yesterday she was diagnosed with breast cancer, ended up learning my wife has it rampant through both sides of her family history. I’ve been following these videos like crazy but even more so now 😐

Truly what DO you do. I finished chemo in December. January I found out it didn’t really work. So now I’m in the in between space of I’m not on chemo but I might have to be again in the future. Generally no idea what is going on!

Grace, there's an old song by P!nk and one of the lyrics says "The quiet scares me couse it screams the truth". It's called Sober.

So happy for you!!! ❤❤❤

I was 19 when I was diagnosed with cancer. The hardest part is bein ok afterwards

As an atheist, Tarot was such a great and helpful guide for me as a teen. ❤️ glad you’re finding it enjoyable AND helpful at this time when things are sort of floundering, and not in a cute little mermaid way. Have fun in vegas! 🍟🥂

My plastic surgeon said it best… “there is so much comfort in treatment” nothing is truer. I didn’t need therapy until after I was treated. No one is checking in no one is monitoring anything. It def got better after about a year

Oh my I very much understand and love the idea of the empty room card..... That said I'm currently watching your video while also playing a game on my phone all to drown out the silence. Ignorance is bliss.

Uh oh, the Empty Room resonated with me HARD. I haven't had cancer, but I have been dealing with a lot lately. Feelings! Yup.

Grace, I think having an escape after cancer treatment is normal. I finished my treatment and my mom asked me if I wanted to go to Disney World AND WE DID. Going to Disney World helped us leave the cancer life behind and have fun in a place that we both love for a week. It let us forget that cancer was a major part of our life and we just got to be quirky Disney Adults. Just a mom and daughter enjoying time together without a care in the world. It let us come back home with a clear head and figure out what laid ahead for me and my family.

You read the explanation of The Healer so convincingly, I would have never known you didn't retain it the first time 😂I think it goes without saying that you just went through was pretty traumatic, so it will take some time to get back to normal, whatever that is lol. I think you should try to take some time to feel it. Process it. It won't be easy, and you may cry more, but I think that's normal for everything that happened. You'll be ok. Just hang in there.