Write...Edit....Publish

I'm participating in the W.E.P blog fest today! As many of you know, I'm applying to college in a couple of months. As such, I have decided to post my essay on the blog as my entry for this blog fest. It has been edited by an english teacher, and this is my final draft. Enjoy!

The Truth About Cancer

         All of us, including me, have a story that defines who we are as human beings.  As songwriter Delta Goodrem once said, “I feel like I lost my innocence to cancer”. I too have lost my innocence to cancer.I was diagnosed with a rare type of sarcoma on my scalp in November of 2011. My treatment involved two major surgeries, the second of which involved general anesthesia, a skin graft, and a seemingly infinite recovery period. Thankfully, I am now cancer free.

Since I have had cancer, I have learned the true meaning of friendship. I had so much support from friends and family. I learned that true friends are people who are there for you even in the most difficult of times. My biggest support resource was my blog that I put together to document this whole experience. As of right now, my blog has been viewed 1,227 times by the general public. People have showed me more compassion that I would have ever thought possible! This blog has been cathartic for me because it acts as an outlet for me when I am stressed about any aspect of this experience.

         Being a cancer survivor has helped me be thankful for my health, and to have a new outlook on life. I appreciate my health so much more now that I know that there are people out there who die of cancer every day. Before the cancer was diagnosed, I used to think that only elderly adults were cancer patients, and that this would never happen to me! Now I know that cancer does not discriminate, and teenagers are just as likely to be diagnosed as older people are. I am also more careful about my health now that I know how fragile it is. I am always careful to use sunscreen, to get regular checkups, and to get as much sleep as possible.

I have learned to be more independent since I was diagnosed. I learned how to advocate for myself, not just with doctors and hospitals, but with my teachers as well. I missed a week of school second semester sophomore year, which explains why my grades went down that semester; however, I learned an equally valuable lesson- how to advocate for myself, which is a lifelong skill. During my absence, I worked on being assertive by emailing my teachers about missed work and then going in to see them when I returned to school. Being assertive and advocating for yourself is the only way to accomplish things in life. Being able to advocate for myself in college is a valuable skill that I possess.

Last but not least, cancer made me a stronger person. Presently, I do not become devastated when I hear bad news; rather, I think to myself, Ok, what’s the worst that could happen? I will just deal with it- I have no other choice. Before this diagnosis, I used to become hysterical in the face of bad news. I used to panic and become incredibly distraught. Now, when life gives me lemons, I am able to make lemonade!