In Veronica's Words
My mom took me to the Dr. I had strep throat and was on antibiotics for 10 days. After, the strep throat came back and I started antibiotics again. And it didn’t go away. My Mom noticed that I had bruising on my legs and my hair started thinning out.
My mom took me to the doctor and ran tests. It was going to take a week or more to get the results. Then one evening My Mom noticed that on the side of my neck my glands, my “lymph nodes” were swollen and called my Dr. at home. He had given my Mom the phone number in case of an emergency. My Mom told the Dr. there is something wrong, we need those test results by tomorrow morning.
The next morning when my Mom called the Dr., I was referred to children’s hospital. The doctors there were saying I had cancer, “Leukemia”. I had no clue as to what they talked about but I knew that it was bad. So I started to cry, and yell. I was 6 years old at the time.
As the Doctors were talking to my Mom about all of the things they had to do to me, she didn’t realize what it all meant and didn’t allow them to do anything at the time. She went to the pay phone and called My Doctor which we were familiar with and asked said they are saying that she has Leukemia and wanted to do a procedure and check the bone marrow to check and see what kind it was.
The blood should the white cells were not normal. Dr. said, let them do what they need to and they will tell you what else needs to be done. So, my Mom called my Dad and she sat me at a distance where she could see me, to find the words and asked him to join her at the CHLA and didn’t tell him, because he had to drive a long distance and wanted to tell him in person. When they finished talking My Dad called a Dr. Friend of his and asked. By the time he got to the hospital, he knew. “The doctors want to run some tests to see what is going on.” They checked and it was said to be ALL, then later they said it was MALL. And needed to start chemotherapy right away. And we did. They brought in a social worker in the room. She explained what the procedure the doctor wanted to do. The spinal tap and a bone marrow test. I didn’t understand but soon I would become very familiar with those key terms. I remember my dad carried me up to 4 West. I was admitted to CHLA. Five days later my Mom went into labor. My Aunt Rachel and dad took care of me. I struggled with taking medicine. I said, “You do not love me anymore.”
I became trusting when I started to focus on school and getting home to see my baby sister. I went through two and a half ?? of heavy chemotherapy. Seven months after, I was considered cured. Then I relapsed.
TODAY
I am scared that this monster is going to occupy my head. I know…
My mom took me to the doctor and ran tests. It was going to take a week or more to get the results. Then one evening My Mom noticed that on the side of my neck my glands, my “lymph nodes” were swollen and called my Dr. at home. He had given my Mom the phone number in case of an emergency. My Mom told the Dr. there is something wrong, we need those test results by tomorrow morning.
The next morning when my Mom called the Dr., I was referred to children’s hospital. The doctors there were saying I had cancer, “Leukemia”. I had no clue as to what they talked about but I knew that it was bad. So I started to cry, and yell. I was 6 years old at the time.
As the Doctors were talking to my Mom about all of the things they had to do to me, she didn’t realize what it all meant and didn’t allow them to do anything at the time. She went to the pay phone and called My Doctor which we were familiar with and asked said they are saying that she has Leukemia and wanted to do a procedure and check the bone marrow to check and see what kind it was.
The blood should the white cells were not normal. Dr. said, let them do what they need to and they will tell you what else needs to be done. So, my Mom called my Dad and she sat me at a distance where she could see me, to find the words and asked him to join her at the CHLA and didn’t tell him, because he had to drive a long distance and wanted to tell him in person. When they finished talking My Dad called a Dr. Friend of his and asked. By the time he got to the hospital, he knew. “The doctors want to run some tests to see what is going on.” They checked and it was said to be ALL, then later they said it was MALL. And needed to start chemotherapy right away. And we did. They brought in a social worker in the room. She explained what the procedure the doctor wanted to do. The spinal tap and a bone marrow test. I didn’t understand but soon I would become very familiar with those key terms. I remember my dad carried me up to 4 West. I was admitted to CHLA. Five days later my Mom went into labor. My Aunt Rachel and dad took care of me. I struggled with taking medicine. I said, “You do not love me anymore.”
I became trusting when I started to focus on school and getting home to see my baby sister. I went through two and a half ?? of heavy chemotherapy. Seven months after, I was considered cured. Then I relapsed.
TODAY
I am scared that this monster is going to occupy my head. I know…
