Most people are surprised when they hear that I met most of my best friends in elementary school. We decided to be friends for random reasons that made sense in elementary school, including liking each other’s names or clothes, but somehow those friendships have lasted. We don’t necessarily see each other very often now that we’re all in college, but I know they’ll always be there. At this point, we’ve been through so much together that it would be silly to let something stupid break us apart.
During my first treatment, I learned pretty quickly that not all of my friends would stick around. I wasn’t in school, so it was a lot more effort to keep up my friendships, and that effort was required from both sides. When I went back to school, I reconnected with some of my old friends, but I’m still closest with the ones who were there through it all. The same thing happened when I was away from Drexel for 18 months. I kept in touch with a few people but others disappeared, and that’s okay. My friends, along with my family, have always been my biggest support system. I’m lucky to have friends from so many different parts of my life – childhood, camp, the hospital, Drexel, and family – which is great because I get a variety of perspectives. I know it isn’t easy to watch someone go through treatment and feel like there’s nothing you can do, but my friends did what they could, which was way more than I ever imagined. During treatment, they never failed to make me smile: they texted, visited, called, and made me a scrapbook and my countdown chain. When my weight was down, they brought me food and insisted I ate the entire last cookie even though I know they wanted some too. They brought our annual Christmas party to me when I was stuck in the hospital and joined the bone marrow registry in my honor. They wrote me letters and sent cards. They considered my immune restrictions when making plans. They designed an awesome t-shirt to show their support. They planned surprises with my family and brought me gingerbread houses even when I missed an annual gingerbread house party. They came to visit me from Drexel since I couldn’t go there. They let me have rest period at camp, even though that luxury is denied to most activity staff. Of course, I’m not referring to any one friend here – my life is better because of many great friends. My friends have been here for me every step of the way, through the awkward teenage years, breakups, and all the other ups and downs in life. I know I can always count on them, and I hope they know they can always count on me. Friendship doesn’t require grand gestures, but take the time today to let your friends know you’re thinking of them.
2 Comments
4/12/2015 11:46:59 am
Friends ARE priceless!!
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The Worst Best Thing
4/12/2015 12:09:46 pm
Absolutely! Thanks for stopping by!
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AuthorI’m Karen. I was originally diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in August 2004 when I was 10 years old. When I was working on my college and scholarship application essays two years ago, I wrote about my journey. Although it was a rough few years, it became such an influential part of my life that I can’t, and wouldn’t want to, imagine my life without having had cancer. I called it the worst best thing that ever happened to me. Archives
April 2022
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