Reflective Essay: How Chemotherapy Saved My Life?

This roller coaster started with one thing – a fever. It was a consistent fever that lasted 10 days and then my doctor noticing my low blood counts. Even when I was diagnosed, my oncologist was shocked because I seemed healthy. Hours after diagnosis, I had to decide what I wanted connected to my heart – a PORT or a broviac. I wanted a PORT instead of a broviac since just put a swimming pool in and you cannot submerge a broviac. After the surgery, chemotherapy was started the following day. My parents and doctors collectively chose to place me into a study through John Hopkins. The study may have been what saved my life.

One portion of the study was that they did double the doses for twice as long. They used different high dose chemotherapies like Spinal Taps, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and PEG. Even though Helen DeVos claimed I was in remission, through the study, John Hopkins looked at my cells and said I was not; I was considered a slow responder. This meant I was placed under an extra round of high dose chemo than
One complication I faced was from the Spinal Taps. The Spinal Taps gave me a lasting dull headache and made me lightheaded whenever I stood up. I was forced to lay down for a half hour after the procedure in attempt to stop the headaches and lightheadedness. Surprisingly, laying down worked and my head issues faded. Another obstacle I faced was from the PEG. The PEG gave me pancreatitis. I was forced to give myself insulin shots for a month, but then the pancreatitis (diabetes) disappeared since I never received the PEG again. Although I did not know about it at the time, pancreatitis is one of the life takes of cancer patients. Pneumonia is yet another complication I faced during my treatments. I was very short of breath and was hospitalized for fourteen days. My lungs didn’t showed scarring from the pneumonia even though they should