At nine years old I received the devastating news that I had leukemia. I didn’t know exactly what this meant and little did I know that it meant years of treatment, hair loss, loss of friends, and learning who I was meant to be. I was a patient at St. Jude and received treatments for two and a half years. I lost my hair, I had SVTs, I had seizures, and everything that could happen did happen. I was so sick throughout my entire treatment, and I didn’t get to do very much. I was in the hospital most of the time, and very seldom was I had home or not in patient.
Finally, after the harsh chemotherapy, and the loving support of my family I made it. I finished chemo and I was done. Or so I thought. I was given the news that I was completely cured, which not many patients receive. But I still had a long road ahead of me. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and paranoia. These are things I deal with on a daily basis and I know I will never fully overcome them. But I am proud to say I am 21 and I am a mother to a beautiful 18 month old little girl. I am trying to live my life the best I can but it is hard most days.
I love telling my story, and I love being able to help others. And I hope I can inspire many with my story, and this is just part of it. There is so much more than I have had to walk through in my life but that would take days to type out. But I will say I would not be the person I am today if I had not gone through this as a child.
Mackenzie
Survivor
