The “Good Things”

by Elizabeth Hellweg

It was December 23rd, 2005. We dropped everything to rush to the hospital. There we were told by multiple doctors to travel to a different hospital late at night. That’s when my parents knew something was wrong. When we got there it was all a haze. Doctors and nurses everywhere. White lab coats and needles flashed before my eyes, but the rest was a blur. All I can remember is not getting to eat my mac and cheese… or at least, that’s my side of the story.

A week after that night was when I was diagnosed with ALL, better known as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I was so young that I couldn’t quite grasp what this news truly meant; my parents did, though. For them, it was a scary couple of years. If you ask me, it was a pretty great time.

To start from the beginning, I was in the kitchen waiting for my mac and cheese to be done when I started feeling really hot and started to scream about how warm I was. My parents were concerned and took my temperature which read 103.6. They took it again to make sure it was correct, as that is an abnormally high fever. The thermometer read 103.6 again, which is when we rushed straight to the hospital.

We saw a doctor who wasn’t quite sure what was going on. At this point my parents were worried out of their minds because the doctors did not give us much information. All they said was that we needed to go immediately to the hospital in Marshfield. Once we arrived, around 1:00 am, it was just more doctors and tests. The next thing that I remember was waking up on Christmas morning to a wagon full of presents that was twice my size in height. The presents were all for me and my brother from the hospital.

When people ask me about my experience going through cancer, I always say I remember the good things, not the bad parts. That may sound odd, but waking up Christmas morning to more presents than I could count was my first example of the “good things” throughout my cancer journey.

The two and a half years that followed were filled with many hospital stays; shots in my arms, legs, and even in my back; chemo; and a whole lot of doctors. During this time, I do not remember everything in detail. What I can tell you is being poked and prodded by needles like a pin cushion almost every day is not fun. It’s also not enjoyable to no longer eat your favorite foods because it all tastes like iron. Then of course there’s losing your hair, which isn't fun at any age, but especially when you’re a kid. Not to mention living your life in a hospital, taking ten pills a day, not getting to hang out with your friends, and missing out on a normal life. In my opinion, normal is overrated, and I’ll tell you why.

I got to miss out on school, which may seem like a bad thing, but that’s any kid’s dream. Every child with cancer gets a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to have one wish come true. I used my wish to meet one of my favorite people at the time, Cinderella. Let me preface by saying this was the only movie I watched during my hospital stays, and it was on 24/7, quite literally. Not only did I get to meet Cinderella, but I got a whole trip to Disney with my family. We got to see all the parks, jump to the front of all the lines because I had a special button, and had the best time. Five years after my Make-A-Wish trip I had the opportunity to visit Florida again with many other children who had cancer just like me. There were also family camps we were able to attend to meet other families who know what it’s like to have a child going through cancer.

Aside from all the amazing trips I got to go on, I was lucky enough to have the best support system of my family and friends who were all there for me. I had amazing doctors and nurses who were there the whole time I grew up, and even still. It was not an easy time by any means but having a great support system made me see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I could write a list of a hundred more pros that happened in my life because of my diagnosis, but I can’t remember any more of the cons. That’s because I chose to remember the good memories rather than the bad. Which is how I’ve always liked to look at life. Life is hard, and bad things happen. We’re challenged with things that may seem to be too much to handle, but why let that ruin you and your happiness? When you start to look on the positive side of things, you gain strength.

To this day, I wouldn’t change a thing. I went through one of the worst things, and I’m still here to tell you about it, stronger and healthier than ever. Why would I pick a normal and boring life, when I got to learn first-hand how to deal with the struggles and challenges that life throws at you. I stand here today as a cancer survivor of 14 years with the power to overcome whatever else life has to offer me, good and bad.