Being a teenager is tough enough by itself, but adding cancer to the mix can make it even harder. Sometimes all the doctors, nurses, parents, and teachers in the world can't understand what you're going through. During these times, the best advice comes from someone going through the same trials and tribulations. This page is a cyber-bulletin board for teens to express through poems, song lyrics, stories, and drawings the real-deal of what it's like to put up with cancer.
If you have something you'd like to share and have posted, e-mail it to For Teens Only. (Please include your name and age.)
Sometimes I sit and cry all night
a poem by Lauren
Because I am scared of this fight I have to fight I just want to be a normal girl And try to see the rest of the world I dont want people to stare At my bald head that is bare I want to go out with friends But I cant because the fight hasnt had an end I want it to be over And brush it straight off of my shoulder But that isnt going to happen any time soon I have this fight that is singing another tune So for now I raise my head And think of everything I can do instead I can fight, and I can win Until the very end But till then I will fight All through morning and all through night
Advice from Angelica
My name is Angelica and unfortunately I've experienced all of this more than once. But I would like to tell you that every day that passes may be good or it may be bad. But every day is a new day, and one day you will smile and remember how strong you were. You are a fighter and you see what many others don't. Hope, Love, Faith, and Support. And in saying that, you are more alive than any other! Find a time to smile every day!
Cara's Story
age 12
My name is Cara, I am 12 years old and I was recently treated for Osteosarcoma at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. I was diagnosed on July 16th 2005, my birthday. I kept saying to myself, "Sheesh, what kind of birthday present is this? What in the world did I do to deserve this?" It was the scariest thing I have ever, and probably WILL ever, experience. If you don't know what osteosarcoma is, it's cancer of the bone, common with kids, and usually in a joint. I started chemotherapy two weeks after being diagnosed, and ended nine months later. It was so hard for me to cope with the fact that I was sick, and that things may never be the same again. The only things that kept me from giving up were my mom, and the fact that it would all be over soon. I missed having hair so much, and I especially missed having COLOR in my face. After nine months of chemotherapy I got back in school. Everyone was so supportive of me. My hair started to grow back about a month after chemo ended, and is now about an inch and a half long, and is a tad bit darker than it was before!!! It's so funny, that when my friends come over they always want to rub my head, because it's so fuzzy! Nine months of pain, being scared, and having the weight of the world on your shoulders is a HUGE hassle, but you just have to remember, none of this is your fault, and it won't last forever.
Fight! Fight! Fight!!!
advice and reflections by Erica
age 14
I'm 14 and was diagnosed with Hogkin's lymphoma on February 15, 2005. If you don't know what lymphoma is, it's cancer of the lymph nodes. When I heard that I had cancer, I thought that I couldn't go on with life. All of these worries piled up inside of my head. Am I going to be fully cured? How long will this chemo thing take? Luckily I WILL be cured and my chemotherepy will only take 8 to 9 months. I miss being able to do the things I once was able to do. Also, I miss my hair!!! I had medium lenght blonde hair and now it's short, thin, and turning a tad bit orange. I know it'll grow back once this is over, so I try to cope with the baldness as best as I can. I know I'll make it, and I know I'm strong enough TO make it. This is just a word of advice for those who just have been diagnosed with cancer as a teen: Fight! You'll get better, you just have to fight and be strong. Your positive attitude will get you through this, so don't you think negatively. I know it's tough, but look on the bright side. As my mom and dad tell me, "it's just one of those bumps in life." It's true. This will pass. Sure it may seem very slow to you, but trust me it will!!! Be strong and FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!!!
Faith comforts all
a poem by Melonie,
age 21
Not knowing what the future holds
But knowing I'll be okay
Not knowing what the day will bring
But hoping things will go my way
Believing in the will of God and in his perfect plan
Sometimes feeling that I can't but knowing that I can
Never giving up and holding fast to my dream
even when things seem hopeless things aren't always what they seem
What to say
a poem by Brant, age 20
Waking up each day,
Never knowing what to say,
All the things they don't see,
Hidden inside of me
The pain and the tears
Of the last two years
I have kept it all inside
For this entire ride.
Everyone sees my smile
Nothing else from this mile,
No one in this town,
Has ever seen me frown.
I start to let it all go,
It seems as no one cares, though.
Is this my last day,
To say the things I need to say?
Never knowing if I should say "Hi,"
Or make it a good-bye.
So now I'll take it day by day,
Never knowing what to say.
Me
a poem by Jennifer, age 20
My soul is being refined every day.
God's given me a gift that is Me,
a physical being.
Thank you for allowing me to be me. My gift to you is what I am becoming. From a young girl who struggles
in the ghetto where she still lives,
to a young woman who's finally in tune
with her spirit and soul and eventually
evolution for as long as you permit it.
So far, I am happy with the results.
I'm happy to be me...
