Cancer is not a word that anyone wants on their life list, but it’s a reality for many. 

Branden Sammons has not only experienced cancer firsthand, but he can now remove it from his list.

Branden, an incoming freshman in software engineering, was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer last summer just before he was set to begin his time at Iowa State in August 2012, a plan that was ultimately put on hold.

Until now.

“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time. I always thought I’d be a Cyclone, and it’s slowly, slowly happening,” Branden said.

Branden moved on campus Sunday and will begin classes on Monday along with the rest of the ISU student body.

“We’re excited for him but very, very sad because we don’t want him to leave yet,” said Branden’s mother, Renee Sammons.

Roommate Mitchell Callahan, freshman in pre-industrial design, said he knows Branden will do just fine with school.

“You get out of it what you put into it. There’s 30,000 people on-campus; there’s bound to be people that you really get along with,” Callahan said. “It just takes time, and you have to talk to people.”

After Branden was diagnosed with cancer he alerted Callahan with the news that he wouldn’t be there the first semester.

“I didn’t really know how to react,” Callahan said. “I was just really surprised myself. ‘Cause I mean he’s 18 and gets cancer; that’s pretty rare.”

Branden found out he no longer had active cancer cells after his fourth treatment of chemotherapy was completed Oct. 16, 2012. His last chemotherapy treatment is scheduled for Jan. 23, and he will begin radiation treatment in February.

Renee feels comfort knowing that the cancer is gone. However, she feels uneasy knowing her son will be enduring daily radiation treatments at Mary Greeley Medical Center for three weeks in February while he’s away from home.

“Just the nerves and not knowing. [The doctors] said it was going to go better than chemo, but just not knowing [how it will affect him],” Renee said. “His immune system is going to be low for awhile”

Renee worries for Branden being in a dormitory environment during flu season especially.

“I’ve gotten lucky; I probably got the wimpiest cancer you can get,” Branden said. “There’s a lot more people who aren’t that lucky.”

For Branden, dealing with cancer was more an emotional journey than anything else.

“When people say ‘cancer’ you think the worst, but so far it really hasn’t been that bad, but it does send you through quite the emotional roller coaster,” Branden said.

His advice to other cancer patients: stay positive and drink a lot of water. Branden also found it helpful during chemo to watch Youtube videos to keep his mind off of it all.

He admits that cancer has also given him a sense of importance in deciding the next step for his future.

“I’ve thought about things a lot better, like what I want to do with my life, stuff like that,” Branden said. “You don’t know when you’re going to die but you know it’s going to happen some day and you’ve got to think about what you want to do before you get to that point.”

Branden’s goals for the semester include making the Dean’s List and joining an intramural basketball team.

There’s one thing that Branden thinks he’s gained from cancer: a stronger family. 

“I think it’s brought our family closer together,” Sammons said. “I know [my support system] will always be there when I need it. I just have to come home.”