Protocol and Treatment
Chemotherapy, Total Body Irradiation, and a Bone Marrow Transplant from my sister (100% match)
Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Gender:
Female
Location:
Memphis, Tennessee
Relationship:
Single
Children Status:
Maybe Someday
Here For:
Friends, Networking, Support, Mentor, Laugh
High School
Cotton Valley High School
College:
Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Religion:
Christian
Favorite Music:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE music...I believe that music is a true language of it's own, and to love music you have to appreciate all types. I like: The Fray, Natasha Bedingfield, Rascal Flats, Crash Test Dummies (Thanks Dan), The Shins, Guster, John Mayer, Brett Dennen, The Veronicas, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Last Goodnight, Five Times August, Matt Nathanson, Ben Harper, Daughtry, Anna Nalick, Marc Broussard, Amos Lee, The Beatles, The Eagles, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Jack Johnson, Old Motown Music like the Temptations, The Platters, The Jackson Five, I also like Beyonce, Nelly, Ja Rule, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lee Brice, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Dierks Bently, Josh Turner, Kellie Pickler, and my good friend Rian...and I also dabble in classical as well...Music is definately a passion...
Favorite Movies:
The Wizard of Oz...When Harry Met Sally...The Harry Potter Series ...10 Things I Hate About You...The Sound of Music...The Notebook...Kiss the Girls...P.S. I Love You...A Walk to Remember...Saw...Saw 2...skip 3...and Saw 4...NACHO LIBRE...etc...
Favorite Books:
The Bible...The Five Peolple You Meet in Heaven...The Harry Potter Series...Word Love by Hillary Faith...and...Who Moved My Cheese...
Favorite TV Show's:
Grey's Anatomy...American Idol...CSI...Amazing Race ...House...Criminal Minds...Ugly Betty...Brothers and Sisters...etc.
Camps:
Camp Mak-A-Dream
Activities:
Hunting, Fishing, Shopping, Hanging out with my friends and family, Traveling, Cooking, Drawing, ALL sports, and many other things...
Interests:
My interests, of course, include all of my fave activities, plus Old Cars, Driving fast, Skiddin' snakes on the back roads w/ my BFF Kel, Camp Make-A-Dream, Volunteer Work, Flying, Sleeping late when I get the chance, learning anything and everything there is to know about Psychology, children...and loads of other stuff.
About Me:
Ok, About me...I'm 22 years old and not sure who I really am, but here's a little bit of what I do know. I'm strong-willed and will not let the fact that I had cancer define who I am. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and I show my true emotions in my eyes. I love to sing and put on mini-concerts in my car. I dance like there is no one else in the room. My family and my faith in God are very important to me. Sometimes I pray all night long. I've been in love a whopping total of once in my life, and I am still sifting through the pieces of my broken heart. I always have the best intentions but the worst follow through. I'm a huge procrastinator. I love meeting new people, and I make friends easily. I tend to talk quite a bit and sometimes I say more than I should. I am very outspoken, and have a bad habit of speaking my mind. I have a thick Southern accent and get picked on for it constantly. There's no place I'd rather be than home. Whether it's down in the woods on my deer stand or just hanging out with my family. I am definitely not perfect, but God made me the way I am for a reason, and who am I to argue with God? Ok, a little bit about my past. When I was 15 I was diagnosed with Acute Promyleocytic Leukemia (APL), and I spent nearly 3 years at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It is an AMAZING place! The doctors there saved my life. I also underwent a Bone Marrow Transplant. My sister, Jennifer, another one of my saviors, was my donor. It is very rare for siblings to match, but she was a 100% match. Without God, my family, and my friends(that actually stuck by me) I wouldn't be here today. My head transplant doctor, whom I respect very much once told me that God saved me for a reason, and once I got well, I needed to go out and find that reason, my true purpose. That meant a lot to me, and that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to find my purpose in life, and for once, trying to make my life make sense. "Life is not the way it's supposed to be, it's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference."
Ok...So it's been a while since I was last on here, and I thought I would give everyone an update. Things are going good, just a bit stressful. I'm in my last semester of college. I'm due to graduate in December. YAY! Well, that's if I can make it through Philosophy. I can't stand that class. It's like reading in circles, and the Professor is dry as a bone. I'm not sure as of now what I'm going to do when I graduate. I was pretty dead-set on going to graduate school and getting my Master's in Clinical Psychology, but at this moment I'm pretty burnt out. I may take a semester off. I think I need to do some "soul searching." If I had the money I would travel, but that is out of the question. I was thinking about going to Winter YAC, so y'all let me know if any of y'all are planning on going this year. I've always wanted to go to a winter YAC, so this year would be a good opportunity. Other than that, my life has been pretty bland. Just the usual aches and pains, and trying to keep up with the hectic lifestyle I try to lead. I'm so stressed at the moment. I just can't wait until December. I could use a nice vacay! Love y'all!
So, I just finished up the semester, and needless to say, this was a very stressful semester. Between migraines that kept me in bed, thinking I had the stomach flu for weeks, and finally finding out that I needed my gallbladder taken out, it was really hard to keep up with my classes. I'm a Senior Psychology major and I'm due to graduate in December. My classes are gettting harder by the minute, and this semester I had two of hardest classes I've ever had; Physio and Cognitive Psychology. They were definitely kicking my butt. I thought for sure that I was going to end up with ALL C's and my Advisor was going to be so pissed at me because we'd just had a meeting where he'd patted me on the back and told me how good I was doing and that I could get into any Doctorate program I wanted, IF I WANTED. Today, I was very reluctant to pull up my grades, I just knew I was going to be disappointed in myself. When I pulled them up, I nearly had a massive coronary in my living room. I couldn't believe it. I had an A in Sociobiology and B's in my other 4 classes. I was so proud of myself. I guess hardwork and being stubborn really does pay off. So, I guess I'm saying. Don't get yourself down. Even when you think all is lost, there's still hope. Oh, and for all my Camp Mak-A-Dream friends, I'm not going to be able to make it this summer. I'm having to take some summer classes this June. I'm hoping to attend my first Winter YAC this year, so maybe I'll see y'all there. I miss y'all and love y'all!
I've been in pain for a while. As of Tuesday, the pain got so bad that I could not bear it. I had a few extra symptoms so my doctor was going to send me home and treat it as a parasite. I think he's been watching a little too much "House." By the time Wednesday afternoon rolled around, I was in so much pai I couldn't breathe. Since Easter, I haven't had an appetite, I been nauseated, and I've lost 20 pounds, and that's on top of the severe abdominal pain. After my two morning classes I went back to the doctor and he decided that he'd put me in the hospital and have me see a surgeon, because he'd finally came to the conclusion that it was my gallbladder. Smart, huh? I'd had this figured out for days. They removed it Laparoscopicly about mid-Thursday morning and they were letting me go by mid-morning Friday. I'm still in a lot of pain in the incision sites, but other than that, I feel fine. At first the doctor said that I couldn't go back to school until Friday, but negotiated with him we agreed on Wednesday, as long as I only lifted one of my books at a time. (No more than 20lbs.) So, things are great, oh, except for when my cat, Zoie, jumped up in the middle of my stomach, while I was sleeping. It felt as if the sites had been ripped open again. Needless to say, I was in some major pain. I'm telling you, this semester just isn't my best. Everything that can happen to me is trying to. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do about all of my notes and stuff. Love Y'all!!!
So, I've been up til 2 o'clock the past few mornings writing and submitting papers by their specific deadlines. I tell myself every semester that I'm not going to do this; I'm going to stop procrastinationg and actually buckle down. I graduate in December (knock on wood), and I'm still doing it. I just had two papers due on the same day this time! Thank goodness one didn't have to be submitted until midnight. Well, I'm finally done! YAY! Maybe I will stop dreaming about Asperger syndrome and memory improvement. They have been haunting me for the past few nights; when I was actually able to get some sleep. I definitely hear an ambien and my pillow calling my name. I feel a hundred pounds lighter, as if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I can finally breathe easy again. Now all I have to do is pray that I get a passing grade on them. So, will y'all please pray for me too? :)
Ok, so this is my first blog post. I guess you can call me a newbie. I heard about this site through a friend I went to camp with. I signed up hoping to make lots of new friends and to be able to keep in touch with some of my older ones better. If any of you see this and want to say hi, feel free. I'm always looking to make new friends and learn about new people. I don't really have anything to write about now, and I really should be working on a research paper. So, I guess this is it for blog numero uno. I hope to talk with some of y'all soon.