I Didn’t Know What I Needed
Hey y’all,
It’s well into 2018 and I’m so incredibly thankful to be able to share with you all how things are going. For the folks who have been following me on my personal blog, welcome back. For first-time readers, welcome! I’ve been blogging about my experience with breast cancer since 2016, and my – how time flies.
As many people dealing with cancer may state, a cancer diagnosis puts you in a whirlwind of emotions, shifting your life to center around your health and well being. Loved ones in your life are thrown into it with you and wondering how they can assist you. What I found to be true in this situation and many others not related to cancer is, “I didn’t know what I needed.”
Who would have known that in December 2017 and even now, I would still be finding what I needed?
Teen Cancer America, BassPhotograph
This past December, I was given a phenomenal opportunity by Teen Cancer America to speak at the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Congress in Atlanta, a multi-day conference purposed for healthcare professionals to learn and discuss the progress, challenges, and research presented in teen and young adult populations diagnosed with cancer
I was among 6 survivors sharing our experiences on a panel during the conference. With 500+ attendees, our audience remained engaged as we spoke about our various diagnoses, our treatment plans, how professionals treated and mistreated us. I was thankful to share my piece, but beyond thankful to hear from my peers. Honestly, hearing from them showed me that there could be much more provided to teenagers and young adults dealing with long-term illness.
I’ve told you all a little about my experience before, but I’ll give a quick overview. I was at the hospital with the grown folks and often was the youngest in the room. I loved my healthcare team but didn’t really connect with anyone my age initially. This experience was different compared to my peers on the panel. Some were put in children’s wings, others like myself were in regular settings with much older patients. It wasn’t until I got connected with Be Loud! Sophie and the director Lauren that I was able to meet other young people my age who had cancer. Introduced via a mountain trip, these connections continued in informal settings as planned by Lauren. Lunch dates, tickets to sports events, etc. These experiences are necessary for Teens and Young Adults dealing with cancer as they allow us to feel like ourselves, still have a resemblance of the life we desire and were working toward.
We know that cancer does not care about your background. You can be poor or rich, come from a small or large family, and the list goes on. We also know that everyone is not receiving the same holistic quality of care like I or my peers have or desired to have. That’s where it is vital that we continue having these conversations, talk to young survivors during and after treatment, and pave a way for us all to improve outcomes for this population of survivors with so much to dream and hope for.
Twizzlers and truths,
Christina