Back then I didn’t really understand what was going on. Mum did 6 weeks of radiotherapy and was eventually given the all clear. Then in 2007, mum relapsed and had to have a mastectomy. This was a lot harder on me. I was in my last year of high school, having to deal with the pressure of exams, deciding what career I wanted and then I had a sick mum and to help look after my 3 younger sisters.

"I somehow got through it and my HSC."

My mum came out cancer free. Life went back to what it was before. I started thinking about the future. I finished year 12, enrolled in a child care course, turned 18 and had finally started enjoying life when I was given the news in July 2008 that I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Scans and tests showed that I had stage 2 cancer and it was widespread and caught just in time, before it had reached my bones.  I was told I would need 12 rounds of chemotherapy. Although my body dealt with the 6 months of chemo well, I couldn’t return to child care. I had the whole year off as a result, getting better and missing work/study terribly.

"I started to feel secluded."

This is when I decided to join Canteen, so I could meet people with similar experiences. In February 2009 I was given the all clear. I was ecstatic, I started my course back up again and started enjoying life once more. However in April 2009, I found out I had relapsed. This was the scariest moment of my life. Again I started intense chemotherapy two weeks later.This chemo wasn’t as kind to me as the last lot I had previously.

"I was feeling sick all the time."

I lost my hair completely and was always tired. In July 2009 I went into hospital for a stem cell transplant. I spent a month in hospital. I had never been in hospital before so this was scary. I spent a week getting chemo and then waiting for my blood counts to come back up. In that time I was very sick and getting almost daily blood and platelet transfusions. After finally being discharged I had to be careful not to catch colds for a while. I soon got the news I wanted, my cancer had gone. I was however told that the chance of me having children was slim because of the amount of treatment I had received. This broke my heart.

3 months later, in November 2009 I started feeling unwell again and a trip to the doctors confirmed my worst fears. The cancer had returned for a third time.

"This news, I couldn’t grasp."

Wasn’t having cancer twice enough? Why me? Did I want to continue on with treatment? These were all questions running through my head. My only treatment option available was a bone marrow transplant. So after 4 months of chemotherapy I went into hospital for a transplant. This happened in March, 2010. My 14 year old sister was brave enough to be my bone marrow donor. I spent 2 months in hospital. I didn’t get as sick as I thought I would but it was still the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I am now in remission, thanks to my beautiful sister.

Life isn’t and won’t be back to normal for a while. I am seeing doctors every week, taking lots of tablets all the time, can get sick really easy and have to have all of 2010 off as a result.

"I am feeling great."

Having the bone marrow transplant was the best decision I ever made. Im just hoping the cancer never returns, because well I don’t want to think about what happens then.I am thinking about the future heaps now, having cancer changes you, and I have realized I want to be a social worker and work with organizations just like CanTeen.

Joining CanTeen is another good decision I made. Being a member has helped me greatly. There are camps that allow you to have fun with other teenagers in similar situations and you get to talk about your problems which helped me a lot. CanTeen also came out and did hospital and home visits which I appreciated greatly.

My cancer experience has been hard. It still is. The effects from the last 2 years will follow me around for life. But getting through my cancer with a smile on my face thanks to my supportive family, friends and CanTeen had definitely made me a stronger person.