I remember my doctors telling me that I may not make it; I decided then that I was going to beat cancer. In the beginning cancer debilitated me; I lost 35lbs and the use of my feet and legs. I was unable to walk for a while. My chemotherapy treatments were very intense, and after trying different medications, I was able to use my feet and legs but having to use a cane. It was very difficult for me to not be able to walk or run. For three years my independence had been stripped away from me. People looked at me differently. I was not just a normal kid but also a sixteen-year-old with cancer.
I was unable to attend the end of my sophomore year of high school as well as my entire junior and senior years. Being confined to the homebound program where I was dependant on a tutor to help me with my studies. My homebound instructors were not getting my work to me in a timely fashion or teaching me anything so I conceded, and realized that I was working for my present, and also for my future; I began to self-educate myself.
This is when my journey started; I learned that although this was a tumultuous experience for me it taught me how to persevere. I realized that life is not always fair and this was a lesson I was glad to learn sooner rather then later. Cancer has helped to shape me into the person that I am today. It taught me to embrace my weaknesses as well as my strengths.
I have a new appreciation for life and I do not take a single birthday for granted; I celebrated my Golden 19th birthday on October 19, 2009, and I look forward to many more! I have learned to reach for my goals and to press through even when times are hard because tomorrow is a new day. The most significant discovery is to never give up no matter how bad your situation may seem because you never know who will benefit from your testimony. I have come to learn that life is what you make it. One person can make a difference and that person can be me! |
