“We have some news for you” the doctor says.
Hearing it makes it all so much more real. I have read so much about it, the symptoms, treatment, and the possibility of remission. None of it looks good for a girl of 16. “Why me?” I ask all the time, “I have so much going for me, the perfect boyfriend, and a good career in acting or dance, all my friends. Why me? Is it because of all that stuff that you want me to suffer?”
All of this started when I fell during Ballet. I bruised my knee and elbow. They bruised pretty badly and didn’t go away after three weeks. My mom noticed how tired I always was and that I lost a lot of weight. I told her about the bruise and she rushed me to the doctor. He said that I could have leukemia. There were also other possibilities but leukemia seemed to be the greatest possibility.
I was devastated. The first person I told was my boyfriend and then I went on to tell my friend who is three years younger than me. My boyfriend insisted that he went with us for the tests. My friend took it harder. Not to my face but behind closed doors she sobbed for me. She even added me to her temple’s “get well” list.
So I had all the tests done and almost all of the results came back negative. Except one, I have severe Vitamin D deficiency. The doctor told me that this is sometimes a sign of Leukemia in active patients 13-19 years old. Yup, I fit into that group.
So here I am sitting in the doctor’s office with my mom and my boyfriend. My friend on speed dial. We are all praying for a negative result……