On the morning of November 12, 2014, I was in one of my advertising classes when my phone would not stop ringing. My dad kept calling me over and over.
He then texted me saying that the test results of my recent leg biopsy had come back from the hosptial, as we had been trying to figure out what was wrong from many doctors since June.
When I came back from class, he had to tell me that I had cancer. It was probably the hardest phone call of his life. No parent should have to tell their child that, especially when they can’t hold them in their arms and tell them that it is going to be okay. But he had to.
I was so confused. We thought I had an infection, not a life-threatening disease. We thought that after being to five different doctors over a five-month time period that something so severe would have been detected sooner.
I didn’t know what to do at first. I was in shock. I couldn’t really cry much, and at that time, I wasn’t sure what was in store. I was just afraid of the unknown.
But once I got my head on straight, I knew with every ounce of my being that I was going to be okay. I was not going to let a bunch of cells take over my life. My life’s motto before this was to “Be Brave” no matter what life throws at you, and that wasn’t about to change, only be amplified.
After getting another open biopsy to confirm my diagnosis, a bone marrow biopsy, a PET scan, surgery to get a port in my chest for chemo and endless blood tests, I was able to begin my treatment process and begin the road to recovery.
I started chemotherapy treatments in December, and I just had my last session of six at the end of March. I will move on to radiation therapy on my tibia as soon as I am home for the summer to help prevent relapse. The type of cancer I was diagnosed with is a type of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, the most common type of blood cancer. I had stage 3e Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, which is an aggressive, fast-growing Lymphoma.
The “e” in 3e stands for externodal, meaning that the cancer had spread farther than just my lymph nodes. It was in my tibia, lymph nodes behind my knee and the lymph nodes in my pelvis.
This type of lymphoma is not common in people my age. In fact, it usually occurs in people over the age of 60 and only is present in less than two percent of people my age. It also rarely occurs in the bone, much less the tibia, which is why it was so difficult to diagnose me.
The hardest part of having cancer, though, and I feel that other cancer patients would agree, is having to tell the ones you love that you have this disease and seeing them become so upset over it. Cancer, whatever type it may be, is an awful, vicious disease, and when you have cancer, you’re not the only one fighting it, because your loved ones are fighting it too.
Though it has not been fun to feel the effects of cancer and its nasty treatments, I have to say that having this disease has really changed me for the better. I have learned, even moreso than before, that family is everything, friends will always be by your side, and with strength and positivity, you can get through anything. It made me stop and listen to what was truly important.
What I would say to anyone who is currently fighting, or has a loved one fighting, is that no matter what the prognosis is, positivity is key. The times I was positive after one of my chemo treatments are the times that I felt the best. Whenever I was negative, it got harder.
I feel that if I was not so positive throughout this process, I may not have made it through. Your attitude and strength is everything.
Although cancer is awful, in every way, shape and form, if you are positive, you will soar leaps and bounds past the negativity surrounding you. Be brave, and there is nothing that you cannot conquer.
— Rebecca Tomisk
