8 UNBELIEVABLE YEARS.. (no this isn't about Obama)

If I close my eyes and go back to exactly 8 years ago I find myself lying in a hospital bed surrounded by all of my closest friends from high school. I see flowers on every surface in my small Primary Children's hospital room. I am attatched to all kinds of monitors and IV's. There is a nurse who comes in to check on me and asks me how my pain is and if I need anything. There are so many questions. My questions, my friends' questions, and my parents' questions. Nobody really knows what is happening. We just know that right here right now we are at a hospital waiting for some test results. We know that last night I was at dance and my femur snapped. We know that it takes extreme impact for a femur to just 'snap'. We know that I have had horrible pain in my leg for the last year. We think we ruled out a tumor just because we saw an orthopedic specialist only a month ago, and he said everything looked fine and I was just having growing pains. Most importantly we know that no matter what happens, I have the best care I could possibly ask for. We know that we can only move forward from here on out and that we have support of our friends, family and doctors.

What we didn't know on this day eight years ago, was that it was in fact a malignant tumor that had taken over my femur. We didn't know that our lives would forever change. Both for the better and for the worse. We had no clue that 8 years later I would still be fighting a battle every day. We didn't imagine our lives the way they are now. We had no idea of the strength that would be forced out of us. No one even knew if I would make it for another 8 years. We didn't know that me being sick would rock the entire family. Or that my sisters would have to grow up so incredibly fast.

We all lost a part of our childhood at the same time. I woke up one day and had to fight for my life, while my friends got to worry about test scores and boys and the newest phone that came out. My sisters spent days even weeks at their friend's houses, often seperated because of the logisitics. We learned to lean on those around us. We as a fmaily learned how to ask for help. Some of us learned faster than others. I still have trouble asking for help. There was not one night that I spent alone at the hospital. My parents made sure that one of them was ALWAYS by my side. If they were tired, they never showed it. If they were sad, I never knew. If we had financial trouble, I had no clue. My sisters accepted my bossy demands and bit their tongues. They all took turns rubbing my feet as that was my favorite pass time (other than sleep). My parents bolted at the request of my crazy cravings. They drove accross the valley to get me that one hot dog from costco with the relish and mustard and ketchup, just to make it back in time for me to already be disgusted by the idea of a hot dog. We would call friends who were coming to visit to request random foods and they would deliver.

Thank you everyone for the countless visits and support. Thank you for all of the journals, Pj's, blankets, snacks, bath things, slippers, movies, jewelry maiking supplies, robes, art things, jewelry, makeup, hats, wigs, nail polish, massages, cards, pictures, postcards, and letters. Thanks for being there and holding the bucket when I would puke up all the food you had just brought me. And thank you for understanding that I will never eat that food again. Thank you for always helping me decorate my rooms to make them the most comfortable they could be. Thank you for the company and for keeping me in loop of what was hapening at home. Thank you for registering in the Bone Marrow Registry!! I hope one day you will be called upon to help save a life like mine. Thank you for helping me grow into the woman I am today.