14 Yrs, A Time to Reflect

It is this time of year around late June to mid-July that somewhere out of the blue I remember what time it is and start to do some reflection. It was this time of year that I was originally diagnosed and declared in remission from leukemia.

I don't really think of it anymore, it being so long ago, except maybe for a day or two a year like today where suddenly I realize that I can add another year to my survival year total...now 14 years. I like to reflect on those times, pull out the "get well" cards I saved, the few pictures I could find of old friends, maybe even glance at my old broviac catheder I saved (yes eew gross). This year with half our stuff in storage, I just have a few pictures to share.

Here is my sister Noreen and I on her high school graduation day. It was somewhat of a bittersweet occasion, in that this day was just a few days after I was released from my original diagnosis and hospitalization. It should've been a great day for my sister with all spotlight on her, but it was overshadowed by the fact that I was there and people wanted to talk about me and the illness that affected our whole family. It was no one's fault, but it wasn't until years later that I realized just how much it affected everyone else around me. My sister, since then has donated her hair to Locks of Love, as well as motivated others in her school to do it too. She's also very involved in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, helping to raise like...a quarter million dollars for the local chapter.




These two pictures were taken at a Christmas party given for all the pediatric patients of the hospital. On the left, Me, Mom and an elf (hmmm look familiar? hint, check out the valentine). On the right is a picture of me with Meghan Starr and her big sister Jamie. Megan was 3 and was my roommate once or twice.




This picture was at my Honor's Society dinner with friends Sarah(left) and Tanya (right). I think it was around Thanksgiving time after my diagnosis. It was my first public appearance wearing my wig. I probably should have test-driven a wig before my parents bought it for me, as it turned out to be my only public appearance wearing it. We expected to lose my hair completely, which never happened. It was more comfortable to wear hats.













This picture was taken the following February. At that time I was done with all the intense treatments and my hair (what was left of it at that time) had started to grow back.












So, reflecting back I think of this time in such a positive light. Not just because of the positive outcome, but because it was for me a religous experience. It was this time in my life when I realized just how real God is. It is a time that we developed relationships with some really awesome doctors and nurses, and other patients and their families. All of us who put our trust and faith in both God and medicine and prayed that one or both would intervene.

It was also a time when my friends and family pulled together and made my life as normal as they possibly could. My first boyfriend, first kiss was in the hospital (as ackward as that sounds). Thanks to my teachers, I took my pSATs, and all my final exams in the hospital so I wouldn't have to repeat the last few months of that year. My friends all video recorded the last day of school for me. My church youth group came to the hospital while I was there and had their weekly Sunday meeting in one of the playrooms so that I could come. My entire extended family came and had Thanksgiving (they brought the turkey and all the fixings) with me in the hospital since I had to have treatment that weekend. I could go on and on. These are the memories I have of my cancer. Memories of love, and community, and surviving. 14 years ago.