SarahBear

My Experience with Cancer

I walked into my parents’ room one morning and said “Mommy, my knee hurts”. She told me I was fine and to go back to sleep. She thought I just hurt myself on the playground or something. This pain persisted for two weeks but I was starting Kindergarten so I was able to forget about the pain for two days. After the second day of Kindergarten I said “Mommy, I don’t want to go to school tomorrow”. Of course this worried my mother, and the next morning I had a fever of 103 and my mother brought me to the E.R. at Carney Hospital in Brockton, Mass. at Carney I was diagnosed with Osteomyitolitis, which is an acute inflammation of the bone marrow. I stayed at this hospital for a week and when I wasn;t better by the end of the week my right leg was biopsied and that’s when they found the leukemia cells. I was rushed to Floating Hospital for Children in Boston and there, on September 21st 1990 I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

I stayed at Floating for another four weeks recieving chemo, Prednosine, and many other meds. For being five years old I do remember a lot from the hospital. I remember my mom would bring me Skittles and Starbursts before she and my dad would go for a walk. My stomach, chemo, and the Starbursts got along fine however, Skittles, um, not so much. “Mommy, look rainbow colored throw-up!”

I left the hospital four weeks later but, I still needed three more years of chemo, Prednosine, bone marrow tests, and spinal taps. For me, the scariest part of treatment was the spinal taps and I believe they knock kids out for those now, which is amazing because I was awake for all 20 of mine. Some of the late effects of treatment for me were three learning disabilities and some fine/gross motor issues from the chemo, and back problems from the spinal taps.

I see my cancer as blissing sometimes because it teaches me things and has shaped me into the woman I am today.

Hobbies

Arts & Crafts, Reading, Writing, Cooking, Volunteering, Galvanting off to Boston, puzzles, board games (How do you not like Mouse Trap?)

Books

Let’s put it this way; never set me lose in a bookstore or library.

Music

Random; My iPod doesn’t need to be on “Shuffle” for it to be random.

Movies

I love animated movies, comedies, and historical movies.

My Kind of People

Awesome people!

Reason for Being Here

To offer support, gain support, and meet cool, new people.

Words of Wisdom

Cancer has always been an interesting illness to me. Cancer starts with CAN, and the CER at the end of CANCER sounds the same as the SUR at the beginning of SURVIVOR. The end of Cancer means the beginning of Survivor.

Religion

Other

Know Me

Um, well, I’m a Libra, and I like long walks on the beach, and I’m single (any takers, guys?) I just graduated from Bridgewater State College in Mass three weeks ago with a B.A. in Sociology. I plan to get my Master’s in Student Affairs so I can work with childhood and teen cancer survivors when they’re ready for college life. I love volunteer with the American Cancer Society especially with AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Boston and Relay for Life.