Personal Narrative: My Experience With Cancer

Everyone hears the word “Cancer” and automatically thinks death? Imagine being told you have cancer a month before Christmas and having to start chemotherapy right away. That was me at age 16 barely a junior in High School, they say high school is supposed to be a great experience. And it was at the beginning which was my freshman and sophomore year. I was that girl athlete with lots of friends who went day by day not caring about my health I would eat lots of junk food and stay up late at night. I come from a Hispanic family single parent my mom and 4 siblings 3 girls and one boy. Two had already gotten married and there was only 3 left at home including me. My mom would work out in the fields so sometimes she 'd come home late, therefore

A few years back, life threw a curve ball at my family. My mom had been diagnosed with cancer. Skin cancer to be more exact. She was diagnosed with Melanoma which is the only skin cancer that is deadly. This experience taught me to always help others and when one faces a challenge, never back down.

When I was between the ages of ten and twenty-seven, my mother managed to treat her cancer diagnosis as one of life's unique teaching

There is nothing anyone could have done. My sister didn’t mean to get cancer, and she couldn’t have stopped it from growing. I just wish things had happened differently and that my entire family wouldn’t be turned away from me now.

A few years ago, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. Emotional and heartbroken, my aunt did not know what to do when she heard the news from the doctor. She was lost and no words could describe how she felt that day. As those days went on, minutes seemed like hours, hours seemed like weeks, and weeks seemed like months, and nothing seemed to be going right in the world. Being the optimistic person that she was, she knew she had to stay positive so that those around her would not be affected by her sadness.

This time, my mother pulled me aside to tell me she too had developed cancer. However, this time was different. With all the new information on cancer, they had the ability to find my mother’s tumor before it progressed to a dangerous proportion like my grandmother’s tumor had. Diagnosed as stage 0, my mother’s treatment was straightforward, and I was not worried at all because I knew her cancer was treatable. This feeling of security I experienced was due to the research conducted by the thousands of scientists trying to discover a cure. My gratitude is owed to them.

During those six months she went through twelve treatments. I saw my young, energetic, happy mother lose weight and be fatigued. Thankfully, after a year of battling she came out on top and beat cancer. Now, nine years later she is cancer free and healthier than

I was born on November 15th, 2001 at 11:15am, I always thought it was cool how my birthday and the time I was born match. I barely remember much of my childhood. My earliest memory was smashing my head into a concrete flower pot, I was a toddler and the path I was walking on was cobblestone. A deadly combination. My mom said the bump on my head looked identical to the ones you see in cartoons and she jokes about how that accident totally messed up my brain. We’ve always been close, back in 2010 she was diagnosed with Leukemia and the way I found out wasn’t exactly ideal, it’s alright though because I really didn’t know what any of it meant at the time, I didn’t cry and went about my normal 8 year old life, she’s in remission now which is unbelievable

When I was a child my friend, Abby, was diagnosed with leukemia. At the time, I didn’t understand how serious of a diagnosis that was, I just assumed that it was just like any other illness; she would get better. She did not get better. Abby was eight years old when she died. The memorial was a somber affair; I didn’t know how to react. We were both eight but only one of us got to be nine. I finally understood what leukemia was, a death sentence.

In February 2012, my junior year of high school, my mom succumbed to breast cancer. During her fight with breast cancer and after her passing, I made sacrifices on behalf on my family. I wasn’t involved in afterschool programs because I was cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and grocery shopping while helping my dad take care of my younger brother. Throughout my junior and senior years in high school, college was one of the last things on my mind. However my family and friends helped me realize that grades nor finances were holding me back from attending college but I was holding myself back.

At the budding age of six years old I met my lifelong stalker. It’s quite ironic since we had such a thriving relationship in the beginning. We were attached to one another by the hip, and I grew so comfortable with her that sometimes I forgot she was there. She accompanied me to school, extracurricular activities, sports practices, and slept over nearly every night. One day this former best friend of mine knocked on my front door and ambushed me as soon as I cracked open the door hinges. She began hitting, kicking, and tearing my body apart until I could barely breathe. I tried to resist her, but before I was conscious again my brunette lox was shaved off until I was left completely bald. Tears trickled down my face as I noticed my childhood memories would be destroyed for eternity. As the reader you are probably questioning who would do such a thing, so I’ll tell you her name: Childhood Cancer.

I went in to go get a physical check up as I have been a mud obstacle course that raises funds for those with breast cancer. They have them every year. Two years ago, when I went in tor my physical a hard lump was found in my left breast. My primary care doctor sent me to get a mammogram. All I could think about how those in the past said it will hurt as your breast is being squeeze to death between two plastic plates. I had to answer a long questionnaire about my life. The breast care center wanted to know if I led some wild lifestyle involving alcohol or drugs plus more.

The words shot out of her mouth while she cried. “I have breast cancer,” my mother announced while in the arms of my father. As evolutionary principles describe, we fear the unknown, and to my family, this diagnosis presented an unknown. Remembering that my best friend’s mother passed away from this disease, I felt my world turn upside down. My mom was in shock, my dad was scared. A couple of days later, the physician contacted her. To our surprise, he was not discussing treatment options. Instead, he apologized profusely, and told my mom that she had been misdiagnosed. Her results indicated a false positive. Until then, my perception of medicine had been strictly scientific, but my mother’s psychological state in that moment rattled my

Can you imagine how it would feel if your mom had cancer? Well my mom did have cancer. My mom having cancer affected the whole family in a way. First you will learn how me and my siblings found out. Second how my mom, me and my siblings was well my mom was in the hospital. Third how we get over it.

No mother ever dreams of having to sit down with their daughter and explain what breast cancer is. Unfortunately, I was that daughter, listening to my mother explain what cancer cells were, mastectomies, radiation, chemo and so much more. During the start of middle school; a pivotal and sensitive time for most students, my family experienced a life changing event that would shape not only my family, but me personally to be the person that I have become today. In 2012