IamA 14 yr old Cancer Survivor - AMA

Congestive heart failure survivor here. I was given two months to live when I left the hospital. That was almost 8 years ago. While my heart hasn't recovered, I am able to do day to day tasks and live a nearly full life (I can't do many of the things that I used to love doing).

Keep up the fight. I know that cancer is a different challenge, especially since my problem really didn't involve a lot of pain. You can do it. I know what it's like to lie there at night trying to sleep knowing that I might not wake up the next morning.

My key is to live with the problem instead of dying from it. It's a subtle yet important perspective, at least to me.

I would also like to say that, since I am considerably older, I just think it's incredibly unfair that someone so young has to suffer through something like that. At this point, I wouldn't wish bad health on my worst enemy.

I wish you peace and good health. I expect to hear that you are back and living a normal life soon. :)

thank you, and i guess today is your lucky day because i already am :)

Did you ever wish you could melt your cancer with lasers from your eyeballs?

I honestly never thought about that, I'll talk with my doctors about it next time i go in for a check up.

What did you think LASER EYE SURGERY meant? Something to help your vision??? psh, nahhh

Lol

How did your friends react when you told them you had cancer?

I really didn't have time to tell them because when they found the tumor they wanted to go into action immediately. they yanked me out of school, but eventually my friends caught word, and it hurt me deeply that none of my friends tried to contact me. only one person from my school came to talk about it, and i hardly ever spoke to her (although i did have a slight crush on her, even though any chances of romance were completely destroyed)

Every comment of yours I read, I feel like I can relate at least a little bit.

When I had a bone condition in middle school, I had to leave school to undergo surgery/ recovery, and only my closest friends (and I mean the guys I'd known since before kindergarten) still hung out with me, and they lived only a few blocks away.

yeah, I started re-evaluating my friendships after that.

What kind of cancer did you have? How long did you have it? Could it ever come back?

1. It was a type of bone cancer that affected my hip and, by the tyme they found it, had gotten into my bloodstream and were in my lungs.

2. I underwent Chemo for 1 year before going into surgery to remove the tumor (and by that time the specks in my lungs/bloodstream had gone)

3. they took the time to explain to me after chemo that Ewing's Sarcoma's nickname is the revenge cancer and that if I don't take the proper precautions it may.

I really hope that it doesn't come back :( and one more question, how did you know to go to the doctors and how did you feel when they said it was cancer?

In the beginning of that school year i developed a slight limp that i did not notice until a couple of weeks later, when i woke up for school and had debilitating pain in my leg which prompted my mom to take me to chiropractor (don't ask why, i don't remember) so the ch. did an MRI which showed the tumor. i felt very confused when i saw my mother just bawling her eyes out on the porch from the living room and i felt a pit in my stomach when i was filled in.

Well I hope that you live a long and prosperous life, have a great one!

thank you it means a lot to mw

You are a frickin champion buddy. You and this story are going to clean up with the girls in college.

haha, thank you for this comment, made my day

When you were told that you had successfully beaten cancer, did you have a giant feeling of relief/victory?

In the future, would you ever see yourself talking about this as a conquest?

Do you think spiders can dream?

1. I mainly just wanted to leave, as at some point in the middle of my treatment, i became very depressed and just gave up on trying to be cheery.

2. I don't think so, but it's a possibility

3. And no, they can't dream because they don't have souls

Dogs dream.

yes, but dogs have souls

What was the first thing you did after you were declared cancer free?

What do you want to do with the rest of your life?

Are you on time with your friends in school? Did you miss school or have tutors?

1. we had a celebretory lunch at applebee's with just my mom and me (the only members actually participating in what we nicknamed "the war")
2. I want to be a design artist for a video game company 3.I see my friends regularly now and go to school full time, but the year i missed put some sort of barrier between us. I was no longer the equal. I was known all around school, but that was mainly because of my cancer (also, i got word that i was so fortunate to be out the year our health class was discussing terminal diseases which included cancer)

Are you and your mom closer now because of "the war"?

And i know what you mean about being known around school for the cancer. My brother's friend was diagnosed in kindergarten with lukemia and it followed him through school. He survived too though. The day before he turned 13, he got his chemo line removed. He's healthy now and graduating soon.

What's your favorite video game?

we probably are, but not noticeably so.

I would have to say that my favorite game is probably the Infamous series or Red Dead.

Well first of all congratulations ! After reading your comments you are a brave little dude, enjoy your life I hope everything turns out well for you ( and go chat up that girl ;) ). PS Enjoy the gold you earned it !

thank you so very much, i appreciate it

What did you think of the doctors/nurses treating you? Were any of them particularly good/bad/memorable?

The only thing i could note is that the nurses are very by-the-book. my access line was very painful to open and it didn't help that i have a paralyzing fear of needles, but either they didn't care or they didn't want to do anything

I don't see why this is being down voted. When I had my c-section, I was in the hospital for 4 days. There were a few nurses that cared and the rest didn't. Part of it wasn't their fault - they were understaffed - but some were just mean.

My mom (an RN) wants me to change hospitals if I ever have another kid - but it's the best rated hospital in the city.

I don't care if they're down voted.

They asked me a question, and I gave my best answer. If they don't like it, they can down vote it if they please.

Even so, thank you for confirming my assumptions/ defending my point of view

Dropped in to give you an internet high five.

Stay awesome dude.

Thanks bro, You're the awesome one

Not a question, just wanna say, you are one badass motherfucker

thank you, i have an appointment with Chuck Norris next month

Do you get offended when someone makes generic cancer jokes?

I really haven't heard any, however, i rarely take offence to those types of things

sir please go to /r/I'mGoingToHellForThis just for the fun of it.

I've never been on this, however I don't know how that relates

however i will subscribe and lie in wait for an opportunity for this to be relevent

Lol sorry.

no prob

What chemotherapy drugs did you take?

I don't remember most of them, but i do remember one of the drugs i took was Doxyrubicin (if that's how it's spelled)

Can i have your hat?

I don't even have it anymore!

Just a heads up, a friend of mine had lung cancer in high school, and pretty much went to college for free because of it. There are an insane amount of scholarship opportunities out there for you. Keep that in mind.

Also, congrats on beating cancer.

yeah, i heard about that

What did you do to pass time when you realized that you had cancer?

mostly video games or spent time online, since I was sent home with a backpack full of fluids, which ruled out physical activity

How exactly did you find out you had cancer?

I answered this question earlier

[deleted]

I really got no reaction from them, although im sure they were tired of hearing about it because apparently my english teacher would not let it go, and made me a regular part of the curriculum

Also, i joined reddit because of the awesome people, for example an amazing redditor just gave me reddit gold because of this thread

people like these keep me on reddit

Do you feel you're different from other kids now? Have you matured because of your experience?

both answers yes

I am a physician who cares a great deal about how doctors relate/communicate to people. You've obviously had your share of encounters with docs. Aside from receiving the news about your diagnosis and/or remission, what were your worst and best interactions/experiences with doctors?

To Your Health!

The doctors were very compassionate, considering they're line of work, and they were also very prepared, they had everything lined up and ready, trying to make my treatment as easy as possible.

I've never talked to more profesional doctors than Oncology

I had cancer as an infant (obviously don't remember) but I still have to go in for a check up annually.

I also had a bone condition (probably unrelated) in middle school, and I saw what it did to my parents (everything's good now though), and I imagine it was 10x worse with me as a baby.

How did your parents react? Mine definitely took my bone issue well, and I think it made my whole family stronger, but I've also seen a serious illness cause major issues.

Keep up the fight man, and if you're ever in the Round Rock, TX (30 minutes north of Austin) let me know. :)

I addressed this in an earlier question, however i will go over it again.

My mother (single parent) found out about the cancer before i did, and my first clue was her bawling her eyes out on the porch, and when she was able to collect herself she came inside and informed me of my condition

How painful was your cancer therapy? Or what kinds of therapy did you have??

For me, the most painful part of my therapy was accessing my line.

I only did Chemo, however they were beginning to talk about Radiation Therapy right before they saw they could surgically remove the tumor.

btw, I WILL ANSWER ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS. DOESN'T MATTER

I would really like to congratulate you. I was 15 when I was diagnosed with cancer the hardest part for me was the shear shock of it all. I was just completely shocked that it could happen to someone at my age its hard enough to deal with puberty but to add cancer on to that is hard. What has been the hardest part for you?

definitely Physical Therapy, the surgery i underwent to remove the tumor also removed a large portion of my hip. and I spent a year after chemo to get to the point I'm at now.

I just wanna say fuck cancer you have balls for fighting in I'm 15 and would brake down If this Happened to me

thank you, however i really put no effort into it, i feel bad for backing away so easily

Hercules battled the multi-headed Lernaean Hydra. Hera had sent Karkinos to distract Hercules and put him at a disadvantage during the battle, but Hercules quickly dispatched the creature by kicking it with such force that it was propelled into the sky.

Is this the true orgin of cancer? And how long did it take you to get back to earth from there?

I honestly don't understand the question

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_(constellation)

oh now i understand.

I like to draw things from Greek Mythology so yes.