We've posted about this before, but it feels wrong to let September go by and not make some noise for the awful journey childhood cancer is.
Just last week, I had my annual scans to check my cancer cells are dead. We should get the results this week. We don't talk about it much, but we worry. Of course we do. We know so much more now. We know how bad it is. Assuming the results come back clear, we will feel reassured and light, for a little while.
I'm lucky. My cancer was found my chance. I had a scheduled appointment with my paediatrician. He found it. He found my cancer. He called it an 'enlarged liver' and sent me for tests. (Without him, my cancer would have continued to grow and spread and grow and my fight would have been much more difficult. Without him, we may have found the cancer too late, and my journey may have ended very differently. We'll be forever grateful.
At the tests, they said it was a mass that needed treatment.
On the oncology ward, they said it was cancer, then set out to determine just which type of cancer it was.
My oncologists discussed my treatment plan and finally listened as Mum and Dad spoke through tears of fear and frustration. They chose a chemotherapy plan that would not cause hearing loss. They decided to save my hearing, because of my parents and because of my vision impairment.
And, they saved me.
It's awful; childhood cancer. Its an awful that is so bad you cannot understand it until you have lived it. It's more than cute, smiling bald kids. It's all 'the bad things' heaped with anger, fear, frustration and exhaustion.
But, we made it. And so, we continue to spread awareness.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Two Years Cancer Clear Cancer Cells – Be Gone!
Platelets 101 Raising Kids’ Cancer Awareness
Happy Cordless Anniversary No Egg
Neuroblastoma Awareness Day Done!
Cancer Clear – One Year Thanks, Mum and Dad
End of Chemo – 1 Year Anniversary
Hepatoblastoma Surgeries
Chemotherapy Finding Out & Starting Treatment
Cancer in Photos Dexter’s Hepatoblastoma
Dexter’s Cancer Story See the Cancer?
Lizard Cheeky Hair My Cancer