"1997 was the year I beat cancer."
This was the first line of an essay Adrienne wrote in 5th grade, a few months after finishing her first round of treatment. We all thought it was true and were working hard at getting back to normal. I so wish it were true. I found the essay while seaching for my college diploma and cried the rest of the day - no diploma but I did receive my transcript and have graduate standing at UNLV.
Are things better? It's not really like that, more like a roller coaster of downs and better days. My nephews had their bar mitzvah last weekend and between tears, mine, I managed to do my part in the ceremony and enjoy the party that night.
I start class next week. We'll see how it goes.
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Adrienne was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in 1996 at age 9. She had multiple relapses, two bone marrow transplants, and a range of chemos and radiation therapies, and passed away on October 1, 2009. We are heartbroken.
Out with the Girls
About Adrienne
- Adrienne
- Adrienne was very much like others with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the most common cancer in teens and young adults. What was unusual is that she had it for more than half her life and ultimately, it took her life. Hodgkin's is curable for about 80% people, but Adrienne was one of the 20% for whom a cure was elusive. She considered herself lucky since treatments had been there for her with each relapse but she ran out of treatment options and her body just couldn’t take any more. As she said, "Though I’ve now had cancer for most of my life, I no longer plan my life around it; instead, I try to plan cancer around my life." We hope you can take inspiration from her and how she lived her life.
7 comments:
Hi Alison,
I hope you enjoy your classes. My Masters degree comes out of Educational Psychology--my degree was in Psychometry and it was a combination of educational and clinical assessment. I worked as a Psychometrist for four years in different settings and then went on for my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the Univ. of Minnesota. I am a Psychologist and Full Professor now and I work in a university counseling center. It has been a very good fit for me.
I hope you find something you like with passion because you certainly sound like a person who has so much to contribute in whatever way you decide to do it.
JoAnn
Alison,
I apologize for the previous redundant post. I thought I had goofed-up the post to your previous entry so I repeated most of what I said.
You mentioned something in the prior post about the GRE. It has been a long time for me but I don't think the scores are all that are looked at. I was very extreme. On the verbal portion, I was about as high as you could get. On the math part, I came out looking like a simple life form (and I am not kidding). I also had to take the MAT (MIller Analogies Test). That one I did well on because it was fun.
Go for it!
JoAnn
You are such a sweetheart and I am sorry that Adrienne's essay brought on a wave of grief. Two steps forward and one step back lately, huh?
I am so proud that you are looking at continuing your education. And I saw that you are writing a book too. Wow. You are as amazing as Adrienne. Now it is very obvious where she got her drive and her spunk.
Take care and I hope the next wave is a tiny one.
A Mom
Good luck Alison, I hope you enjoy your new venture. A hasn't beaten C yet either. Heading in for allo transplant in Aug. Yuk.
Take care
love Penny
I think of you so often- I had to go back to the hospital with my grandson
http://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/the-return-the-it-the-chair-the-clinic/
and along for the ride came the "it".........
a memory video so full of hurt there are no words I am capable of writing to describe “it” and it is an “it” a living breathing ,cold soul destroying emptiness , a tentacled beast that wraps itself and feeds off your heart and being , “it” accompanies you like some invisible “secret unwanted friend” .............
and finally
"We left the Clinic, waited once again for the Valet Parking – standing in the same spot we had stood so many times before some days with hope another with despair. The parallel world loathe to release us and the “it” joined us on our journey home having grown all-powerful once more fed and sated by the meal of memory"
I have been a disasterous puddle for days and I realized it was because this time last year we were celebrating life and hope- we were so naive and innocent.... I can only wish that "it" releases the hold on you even if it is just for a few hours...... Loraine
Hi I have misplaced your email- I find in my world that I have become a ditherer and also losing my memory and losing where I put things like phoe number and amials and names.... but I wanted to share one of my counseling experiences and the memory echoes
http://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/07/21/a-place-of-echoes-chris-ritchey-2/
Loraine
As painful as these memories of Adrienne are to come across, especially unexpectedly, they are there to cherish and little signs that she's still with you in many ways.....
Glad you found your diploma and went on to complete your first class - the first of many......well done, Alison!
Love and hugs as always.......<3
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