Feature Story
|
Kaylee O’Driscol
Grade 4 student
My Grandma has Cancer
Cancer can be a really bad thing but sometimes it’s not too bad. Last year, my Grandma found out she had cervical cancer. It was really sad for me because I didn’t know what that meant. My Grandma and Grandpa explained to me about how cancer works.
They told me that there were bad cells in her body and she needed special medicines to try and make them go away. She had medicines through needles, called Chemotherapy, and she also had to have a special scan in a really big machine. It was called radiation.
|
|
|
There are lots of big words when it comes to cancer but my Grandma tried her best to explain them to me. She had to visit the hospital everyday to make sure that the medicine was working. When she first found out she had cancer, a nurse came to her house. The nurse explained how she might feel after her treatment and brought her some other medicines to make her feel better. Some people lose their hair when they have chemo, but my Grandma was lucky and didn’t. My Grandma was very tired after all the treatments that she had to go through.
There were some times I wanted to go visit her but I couldn’t. My mom told to me that it was because she could get sick easily. When you have chemo, even a little cold can make you very sick. I wanted to go with my mom to visit her in the hospital but I couldn’t because kids aren’t allowed for the same reason. After her treatments she started to feel a little better.
She had more energy and I was allowed to go see her. I was very happy to know that she was ok. She got a call from the doctor telling her she had to go for a scan to see if the bad cells went away. She had to wait a long time for the results, almost 5 weeks. When the doctor called, he had some good news. Her cancer was gone. Her treatments worked. She will have to visit the doctor every 3 months for a scan to make sure things are still okay, but for now the cancer is all gone. She has been off work for a long time and is going back soon. I think she is one of the lucky ones. There are many people that do not survive what my Grandma went through.
I wish there was no such thing as cancer. That would be great, don’t you think? There will always be people with cancer and I hope I can help them to find a cure someday.
More Survivor Stories
Jamie's Cancer Hat-trick
He was featured as the Ottawa Citizen front page Cancer Survivor in January of 2003 highlighting his story of survival. But as it turned out, he was diagnosed 2 years later with Prostate cancer. Jamie has had a Primary Cancer Hat trick but he is still a survivor!
Liz Manley
It was just over two years ago that Manley-Theobald found out that her mom Joan was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer. "…when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer there was no question — I was coming home from Philadelphia," she explains.
Lynn Nightingale
The first time I felt some pain in early 2005, I ignored it. I guess I knew in the back of my mind that something was wrong — because I had also been suffering from occasional vomiting, bouts of high fever and abdominal pain, ...
Kaylee O'Driscol
Cancer can be a really bad thing but sometimes it’s not too bad. Last year, my Grandma found out she had cervical cancer. It was really sad for me because I didn’t know what that meant.
Benny Plots
Benny Plots scores the winning goal and his Lacrosse team wins the provincial championships. Two years earlier, Benny is on the operating table at CHEO as surgeons remove a malignant tumour from his ribs. Benny is 12 years old.
Brian Kilrea
Spend a few moments with Brian Kilrea and you will be struck by his humility, friendliness and respect for others. Brian's gentle manners belie his reputation as a fierce competitor, hockey player and coach.