My life with cancer

2013



Year 2013 was a painful year for me. It started well. We moved to a new house with a bigger yard so I can have a trampolin during the coming summer. It was a good winter and we went skiing a lot.

April 13th, I turned 12. My mom promised to take me to Disneyland in Paris. The next day I had fever,  sore throat and headache and I looked pale.









We went to the hospital, the doctor gave me antibiotics. The fever and sore throat was gone but I still had headach so we went to the hospital again after a week.
The nurse noticed that I looked pale this time and checked my HB and it was shockingly low. I was admitted immediately.

I got blood transfusion that night for the first time.
After numerous blood test, x-ray, ultra sound they still didn't have any answer.


They sent me to Uppsala. A bigger hospital and they have a special ward for children with blood disease. There they took a bit of bone marrow from my hip.
I can still remember that day like it was yesterday. 2 doctors and 3 nurses came in and sat around my bed. They told me I have leukemia (Acute Lymphatic Leukemia). I had over 90% cancerous cells in my bone marrow. My mom and I cried and cried.
ME?!?! CANCER?!?!? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!
Everything happened so fast. After they dropped the bomb, the doctors scheduled me for operation to put a portal on my chest and tube up my neck...under my skin. It was done almost immediately and they started chemo the next day. There wasn't much time to reflect our sadness at that point.
It was a lot of information that week. Then I could go home in between chemos. I was so happy to be home again. It was painful but spring was here and it was sunny. I felt happy. Maybe my mom and stepdad could take the trampoline out now :-)
The chemo was so intensive, they told me I would loose my hair.
We went to the hair dresser while I still had my hair so they can order a wig with the same colour.
I tried on a couple and bought a wig with natural hair.
Then we bought some other wigs just for fun :-)
I had chemo every week. After the 3rd one then my hair started to fall off by the handfulls.
It was all over the place.
I've always had long hair. We decided to have fun and cut it short...since I was going to loose it anyway.
 Everybody thinks I look good with a Mohawk :-)





Then I lost all my hair. Good thing I have the wig. I think it suits me :-)

  I've had bacteria and fungus infections between chemos. I've had so much pain and lost a lot of weight. The doctors were worried when I weighted 34kg. I'm 162cm tall so everyone's nagging at me to eat all the time. They fed me through a tube up my nose constantly and I just vomit it out again. We went to the best restaurant in town. 
 It was hot with the wig on. I had to take it off sometimes and I don't really care if people are staring.
 We try to do the things that I like. I love animals, fishing, food and fashion....






 Summer of 2013 was the longest summer for me. On top of all the infections in  between chemos, I got pancreatitis, Diabetes type II and fluids in my abdomen. The inserted a tube in my abdomen to drain the fluid. I had to inject myself with insulin before every meal. I had so many tubes and needles coming in and out of my body I couldn't sleep. I had morphine and more and more medicines.
 My condition worsened. I was sent to a bigger hospital with an ambulance.
 I had different types of antibiotics for 2 months. Chemo was on hold and I was swollen like a basketball. 

I finally came home in November. 
Now that the infection and diabetes is over, I'm home again and chemo started again.
It's nice to spend time at home with my friends and family.

I'm really looking forward to Christmas because I just LOVE presents!!!

3 Comments

  1. Hej Claire! Jag har läst din blogg och den är helt fantastisk! Jag är så stolt över att vara lärare till en sådan tjej som du! Du kan verkligen berätta om din svåra tid och du är en duktig fotograf. Jag kommer att följa din blogg med stort intresse och ser fram emot att träffa dig igen efter jullovet. Många kramar från Christina

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  2. stay strong, young little girl. and happy new year!

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  3. My dear Claire,

    Happy New Year!

    The worst is over!! You have hit rock bottom. All you need to do now is to give one good kick and you will be right up and out of deep water.

    Have a wonderful NEW LIFE!!!

    (You look prettier than many Beauty Queens & Princesses even without your hair.)

    Love you.
    Aunty Marlene.

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