Chemotherapy Changed My Life

It was the winter of my 7th-grade year, a time when so much was already changing. But never have I changed more than in the months after my mother's cancer diagnosis. It was technically Stage 3b breast cancer, and from what I could understand, a very fast growing variety. She went through chemo treatments, then radiation, and was constantly either sleeping or sick from all the treatments. Watching her suffer was devastating.

But the school work kept coming and I was unable to keep up. My grades were dropping. Thoughts of cancer consumed my mind and school was ignored. I even went down the rabbit hole of looking up details of my mom's condition online, with terrifying results. Everything felt like it was coming apart.

Through it all, some independence emerged. The summer that her chemotherapy began was different for me. Everything I did or refused to do was my own choice. When I chose to swim at my local pool for the swim team, there was no longer a car to drive me there. Biking was the only form of transportation I had left. It quickly became a way to forget the sad reality that awaited me at home. Although at first, this newfound independence was strange, it eventually felt liberating. …show more content…
Once I realized only I was responsible for my success, I discovered that the only limit to my achievement was myself. No longer was I going to school for anyone but myself and my own desire to learn. This feeling of responsibility has made the successes I have even more satisfying.

In the fall of 8th grade, Mom was still focussed on getting better. It was then that I learned how to manage my time and balance my course load. That year may not have been perfect but I learned quite a bit about personal responsibility and how I learn best. This is wisdom I will never forget for the rest of my life and has resulted in my success in high