Tonight's picture was taken on October 15, 2008. Mattie was in the child life playroom with his best buddy, Brandon. Mattie and Brandon were diagnosed with cancer around the same time and they gravitated to each other. As did I with Brandon's mom, Toni. Toni and I did not sugar coat things and we saw our situation from a similar vantage point. Mattie did not like playing or interacting with children his own age in the hospital. In fact, he let very few people in, and those who he did let in were older than he was. Yet it worked and Brandon and his family are still a part of our lives today. In fact Brandon's niece was born on April 4th, the same day (not year) as Mattie.
Quote of the day: Be sure that whatever you are is you. ~ Theodore Roethke
I like tonight's quote because it relates to the article I received today and posted below. The greatest myth we have about childhood cancer is that once the treatment has ended, things go back to NORMAL. This couldn't be further from the truth. Over two thirds of childhood cancer survivors have late effects from the medical treatment. Late effects aren't minor issues either. Late effects can be secondary cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes, sterility, lung problems, hearing loss, issues with sight, bone growth and development problems and of course long term psychological issues. The psychological, social and emotional issues are always down played, but they are quite significant and just as deadly as the medical problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, drug addiction, and eating disorders).
This article illustrates that surviving childhood cancer is a psychosocial problem of great magnitude. As this young adult writes about her own identity, she is troubled by the fact that she continues to be defined by her cancer. Even though she isn't in active treatment! She has great anxiety about even writing about her feelings, since she knows many children do not survive and she should be lucky to be a survivor. However, she wonders what her real identity is? Can she have an identity without cancer? Will she ever be able to let go of the worry that her follow up appointments and scans will reveal a cancer relapse? All great questions and she is clearly saying..... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Survivors want to be NORMAL, but unfortunately they struggle with the reality that this isn't really possible. Childhood cancer is a life sentence in a way that takes great determination, courage, and strength to manage without spiraling downhill and living in constant fear, worry, or guilt. I found this young woman's perspective very enlightening and when this was posted on Facebook today, many other mom's of teenagers and young adults concurred with the sentiments expressed. They felt that the article could have easily been written by their own child, since they often hear... "I'm tired of cancer and ready to be me."
Breaking Free from a Cancer Diagnosis:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elise-frame/breaking-free-from-the-cancer-identity_b_8168724.html
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