It was a big shock and I really did not understand what was
happening to me, cancer was something I thought that happened to
old people and they died of it!
A few days after arriving at Christchurch hospital, in came a
lady with a bag of goodies, smellies, lollies and a dvd to watch,
that was my first intro to CanTeen, and it was awesome to talk to
someone that knew how I was feeling, my family and friends were
great, but they had no idea what it felt like to have this life
threatening disease as well as all the effects of the Chemotherapy
and all the tests I was having.
CanTeen regularly came in and out of the ward to chat to us all
and would organise pizza and movie nights for all us cancer
patients, they always seemed to appear when I was low and could not
really be bothered with anyone, but it always picked me up and kick
started me out of my low, they would give me tricks and ideas on
how to deal with some of the side effects of the cancer treatment
and treat me like a normal teenager.
I have had cancer for quite awhile now and have spent
a lot of that time in either Christchurch or Wellington hospital,
initially I couldn't understand why I had caught this old person's
disease, Why Me?
But its not just me, there so many kids and teenagers with some
sort of cancer, it's unbelievable, most weeks I see a new family
being diagnosed with cancer and to see the patient and their family
go through the initial realisation that the life of someone so
young can or will be lost is incredible, this is where the support
of CanTeen helped me and my family.
I am so wrapped that I am involved with CanTeen, and I certainly
encourage every new teenage cancer patient I meet to join
CanTeen and get support from other CanTeeners. Cancer with the
support of CanTeen means you can still have fun and live life even
though you feel dreadful.