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Children’s Hospitals working to keep funds from getting cut from programs for Children’s Health Care…

#dontcutkids 

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Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! Promoting health and advocacy for teens.

To see my story please click on ABOUT (above)

If you have a story to share please email me at

livehealthyteenadvocacy@gmail.com

or

livehealthyteenadvocacy@ymail.com

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Alec’s story…

I am a cancer patient being followed by the Dana Farber Jimmy Fund Clinic and by Boston Children’s Hospital. I was diagnosed at age 9 with a very rare cancer called familial paraganglioma syndrome. Living life as a cancer patient, you learn many new lessons. No one will ever understand what you have been through, unless they have gone through it themselves. “Normal” life turns into a totally different reality. Essentially, your daily, “normal” life changes. You have to live day by day because you never know what to expect next. It is one hill after another, and you just have to keep plugging along. As a cancer patient, I have run into many obstacles that I have conquered, and that have made me a better person. I have a huge scar across my abdomen that makes me super self-conscious. It affects me daily as an individual today. I will not change in front of other people, and I will only go swimming without a shirt on in front of my immediate family. In addition, I cannot partake in any physical gym classes, and I have to fitness walk everyday. Yeah, living with these things is not the best thing you could have asked for, but it is just my new normal. It does not affect me in anyway, shape, or form because it is just like learning a new routine to life. As an individual, I will NOT let these obstacles slow me down. I believe I can still do whatever I want to do. I do not live in fear of what the next obstacle will be, whether it be more tumors, or just another thing to add to my daily “routine.” I sometimes worry about getting sick again, but then I remember, it is out of my control, so why worry about it. I will worry about it if and when it occurs. I think of it as why spend your whole life worrying for things you can never control, and things that may never even happen. Once your diagnosed with cancer, everyone around you starts to change. New people will befriend you just because they feel sorry for you, not because they actually like you. People will look at you differently, and give you loads of sympathy, but I do not need sympathy. Yes, it is nice to know people care, but sometimes its too much. You sort of get overwhelmed in the sympathy. I hate having sympathy because it makes me feel weak. I remember the first day I came home from the hospital, some friends and relatives were over, and they all overwhelmed me. I just could not handle it, and I had to lock myself away in my room and recoup. The Dana Farber and Boston Children’s Hospital has helped me so much in the past few years. To give back, I volunteer with the Relay for Life. I also started to volunteer for the Pan-Mass Challenge this year. It is a nice way to give back, and sort of say thanks to my doctors. It is awe inspiring to go to these event and see the throngs of people gathered at them, not only just cancer patients, but also ones that want to help.  With cancer, I always look at the glass half-full. I try to be positive and be optimistic. Having cancer makes you take a second look at life, and it allows you to realize how much life is a gift. I never take life for granted, and I am more up for risks now than I ever have before, because any second could be your last.

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