Pediatric Cancer Services

I survived cancer!
by Courtney

For most children, a diagnosis of cancer might always be viewed as a tragic occurrence in their lives. A young woman named Courtney has been able to turn that notion on its head. Diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at age 10, Courtney was 18 and in college at the time the following was written. She is the first one to admit how having cancer transformed her life—for the better. Here is Courtney's story.

This story is dedicated to all the wonderful doctors and nurses and social workers and everyone else who helped me and my family through a really difficult time in my life….And to the children and parents who right now are living through it.

When I was 10, I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). I was in fifth grade at the time. I wasn't the type of kid who usually got sick. But I was feeling really tired and run down. I didn't have much energy or appetite. And the weird thing was my fingers and toes would ache. At first we thought it might be Lyme disease. But when I went to the pediatrician's, I was seen by a physician's assistant who had been working on an internship in hematology and oncology and recognized these symptoms as needing further testing.

Finding out
I remember when I first found out I had leukemia. The first thing that ran through my head was, “Am I going to die?” The doctors at Yale-New Haven right away reassured me that this type of leukemia had a high cure rate. My treatment started that night.

My treatment lasted three years. At first, I would spend every other weekend in the hospital to receive 36 hours of chemotherapy. After a few months of that, I would go every week for outpatient treatment, then every other week after my mom started giving me shots at home.

My last spinal tap was in January 1996, and I've been in remission ever since. I've hit the five-year mark and they tell me there is less than 1 percent chance the cancer will come back. I go back every year for a check-up. Believe me, I miss the people there. It's a comfort zone. Everyone there understands what we've been through. I don't have to explain anything.

Keeping up with school work
I was the first kid in my school to ever have cancer. My teachers and everyone were great. When I was undergoing treatment and staying at the hospital, I'd go in to Yale-New Haven Thursday and Friday and do school work at the hospital. After that, I was getting outpatient treatments so I didn't miss as much school. When my hair fell out, I wore a hat to school. The school had a policy where they did not allow hats, and I remember one teacher who didn't know about me being sick asking me to take off the hat. He felt pretty dumb when he found out why I had the hat on.

I had some really good friends who stayed friends through all this, which really helps. They would bring home school work or whatever I needed. Other kids asked me questions sometimes. There was an article in the local newspaper about me, so word got around and people knew what was going on. They even had a pancake breakfast in my honor. I never expected so many people to come.

Finding the right balance
When I first got sick, it was in the summer before sixth grade, so it was easier to stay away from people when my blood counts got low. But in between, I was able to keep up with a lot of my activities, like piano and Girl Scouts and softball. But you just have to do what you feel up to doing. You can't be afraid to try.

Giving something back
My major in college is currently pre-med. I feel becoming a doctor is my way of being able to give something back. Cancer really had a major impact on my life. I used to be very shy but it's made me into a different person. After all we had been through, it was tough for my parents to send me off to college, but I think it's the right thing for me. My parents did so much for me when I was sick. I remember my mom sleeping right next to me when I was in the hospital. I appreciate that so much. I can never thank everyone enough.

Also: One mom's story: An account of cancer treatment from a parent's point of view.

Last revised: May 9, 2007 (dh)

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