November 5th, 2004. It’s a day I will never forget for the rest of my life. I will always have this day committed to memory because that’s the day I was diagnosed with leukemia. It is a ravaging disease. It takes away your quality of life and before you are reassured that there is hope, you feel like you have to die to get out of your miserable state. I was in 5th grade and I thought that the most important thing in the world at the time was what to wear in the morning to school. I was popular, and I had friends in all the groups and clicks at my middle school. I wasn’t the kid that every one talked about, good or bad, but I wasn’t the outcast wallflower either.

I had been feeling, as I described it to my teachers “ alittle ill.” For months. Almost daily I would go to the nurse and she would say the same little routine speech over and over.

NURSE: Do you feel light headed, honey?
ME: yes
NURSE: Do you want some water?
ME: no.
NURSE: Do you want to try and call your momma?
ME: no.
NURSE: Ok then hon. Just rest for a few minutes and If you’re not better in 20 minutes or so, we will call your momma.

This is how it went on for months. From the beginning of school that year to the day that I finally cracked, I had been bruising easily and I was so fatigued, I began to get my good teachers to write me passes to keep me in their classes just so I wouldn’t have to expend the effort to climb the stairs.

I cried about my misfortunes for nights and nights until I was finally questioned about it by a PE coach. It went much too out of proportion than it should have. My parents were questioned for child abuse because of the bruises, and I was sent to doctor after doctor for 2 months.

I was diagnosed On that November morning and couldn’t go to school for so long because of the chemo that I had to take up homeschool. I was miserable. I couldn’t do anything the average little girl could do. I was so weak and so nauseous, I laid in bed and slept and cried for most of 6th grade.

Things improved somewhat when I tried to go to school again. For 7th grade, all my buddies welcomed me back to school with open arms. I’m glad I got up the courage to go back. I think without the love of my dearest friends, I think, with very little doubt, that I would not be alive to write today.
With loving thanks to cody, lilly, gage, emma, christa, kirstan, and hailey for your loving support.