Angela's Story
My journey began back on the first day of spring in 1973. I was just three years old. My mom had taken me to my pediatrician for a check-up. While I was being examined in the area around my stomach, a very serious look came across my doctor’s face. At that time, he said that he would like for his colleague to confirm what he had discovered. After his colleague examined me, they told my mom to take me to Henrietta Egleston Children's Hospital at Emory University immediately.
When my mom and I arrived, I had some x-rays and CT scan. After the doctors looked at the results, they confirmed my diagnosis, stage III neuroblastoma. It was a malignant tumor in the area between my abdominal aorta and kidney. My parents’ worst fears happened on that day. In the days ahead, everything was a blur and still remains that way today. My dad, a general practitioner, feared the worst, but prayed for a miracle.
Before I was born, my dad used to work at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. At the time when I was diagnosed, he knew the right doctors to contact to help cure me. I endured surgery and one year of chemotherapy. My mom told me that after my surgery, the surgeon came out with a puzzled look on his face. He said that most neuroblastoma tumors spread very fast and can attach themselves to the vital organs. When he found my tumor, he said that it was caught early and had not invaded any of my vital organs! My parents, friends and family were all very happy and amazed at this wonderful miracle! At the time when I was first diagnosed, I had no symptoms!
Today, when I see someone who knew what I endured, they say I'm a miracle child! It is now March 6, 2008; I can't remember which year this happened. Due to the amount of chemo medicine my body endured, I started having problems with my short and long term memory. My dad and I decided to visit my oncologist. I told him what was going on and here's what his diagnosis was. – a long-term/side effect reaction from the poisons in the chemo used to fight my neuroblastoma. Chemotherapy took away my ability to drive a car. I’m battling daily problems with memory lapses and now I’m battling one more very difficult and sometimes very serious late effect diagnosis with my teeth!!! After during some research, I found out that this very serious late effect can happen to childhood cancer survivors after undergoing lengthy chemo treatments.
With lots of help, love, encouragement, strength, prayers, and support from my awesome and beautiful family and friends, my life (though very different now)…I still go on! One day at a time...one hour at a time!