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sabrinatie1356 karma

Yes. Before getting diagnosed, I was severely depressed (diagnosed), and I felt like I was in an emotional limbo. Now, I feel like I was given a second chance at life. I still have depression but I know that I will always win my fight against it, because I’ve already been on death’s door. Life is so much more colorful now, and I appreciate the small things like being able to breathe fresh air when I first wake up in the morning and bring my dog outside. A lot of people don’t value life until they almost lose it.

sabrinatie548 karma

The most I can recommend is just realize that every day is a gift. Living in fear will ruin the days that could be great. Live your life, because you never know when your health will be taken from you. I had to quit marching band and other activities like that because my symptoms started getting bad in freshman year. I wish I was able to stay.

And, realizing that death is inevitable and that there’s nothing you can do is what keeps me living my best life. We can’t choose when we die, so we might as well make life good when it lasts!

sabrinatie332 karma

I always knew something was up, but I didn’t know it was this bad until I found a lump above my collarbone that didn’t go away. That’s a telltale sign of lymphoma in my age group. My doctor ignored my symptoms so the lump was there for a year before I got diagnosed, which is why I was expecting that bad of a diagnosis. Being health conscious is good, if you suspect something really bad, always push your doctor.

A lot of times with cancer, there will be no symptoms. Always just make sure everyone gets their checkup. That will be your best bet.

sabrinatie276 karma

Interesting! I’ve never really thought about it, but yeah. People like me, especially kids, are expected to be completely okay afterwards. A lot of us deal with the trauma of the hospital, and the emotional damage from the physical pain we’ve went through. A lot of us have scars that remind us every day that we used to be terribly ill. We’re expected to be immediately happy afterwards, but that’s rarely the case. Anxiety of relapse, PTSD linked to hospitals, it isn’t as simple as “oh you’re cancer free so you don’t have to worry anymore”

I live life to the fullest but I still have the days where I want to sit on the couch and watch tv. I am following a bunch of cancer survivors on Instagram and I see that they’re all living. They’re taking dance classes, they’re still traveling, but I still like to sit on my bottom and eat bad food sometimes.

I’m not necessarily jealous that people are allowed mediocrity, I’m more disappointed that so many people don’t take advantage of their health when they have it. I was sick for three years before being “cured”, and I couldn’t do much for most of my high school career. I couldn’t go to high school dances, or any of my homecoming events, or football games. I had to quit marching band because I got too sick to move. I wish people would live life how they want, because so many of us can’t. People like me want to see others flourish, we want them to live for us. I’m thankful I can breathe normally now.

sabrinatie228 karma

Definitely. I don’t like calling myself mature but most kids who go through this end up being more mature. You’re faced with death, and you come back from it a new person. A lot of other kids worry about pettier things, and I really became so disinterested in regular teenage drama that I became even more of an outcast haha.

You’re a very strong person for continuing on even after such hardship. Kudos to you for making ends meet. If you’re not told this, you can hear it from me: I’m proud of you for pushing through hardship.