I was 24 years old and dating the man of my dreams. The first year of our relationship was perfect. But when I was 25, I started to get sick. I had monthly doctor’s appointments for an entire year to figure out what was wrong.
More than 20 years ago, Megan Johnson was fighting for her life as a pediatric patient at Roswell Park. Given just a 10 percent chance of survival, Megan defied the odds and is now well on her way to a career in medicine.
I visited my first tanning salon at age 16. In high school I was a cheerleader, and I felt that being tan for games made me look skinnier in my uniform. My friend’s mom owned a tanning salon and always gave us a discount to tan. I even got a job working at a tanning salon for a couple of years.
“You have to stay mentally engaged in something,” advises Kevan. “Don’t concentrate on the negatives. Make yourself a goal, and picture that goal every day.”
It would seem that for some patients and caregivers, the biggest challenge is not to live up to the labels, but to learn how to just be themselves again.
Nothing can change the caliber of a conversation—or a relationship—quite like cancer. Like an acquaintance we've been trying to avoid, mortality suddenly appears in the room, and from then on, it never leaves.