Coming Out With Cancer: Burkitts Lymphoma
Donation protected
On September 24, 2019 (my 28th birthday) I noticed a large mass in my throat. Multiple tests, doctor appointments and weeks later, I have been diagnosed with Sporadic Burkitts- a myc driven aggressive high grade b-cell lymphoma, in simple terms I have a fast spreading blood cancer and my white blood cells are going crazy. It requires “epoch” : an intense chemotherapy treatment where each cycle lasts 6 days at a time, plus a spinal tap where your spinal fluid is extracted and replaced with chemo. This happens every three weeks, for about five months. Since this kills off all my white blood cells in hopes to kill the cancerous ones, it leaves me entirely vulnerable to any infection, making working, or being in public, extremely difficult and risky.
When you first learn you have cancer, your initial thoughts should be fear, not wanting to die, your future and your loved ones. Your initial thought shouldn’t have to be “but I can’t afford to have cancer”, though as an American millennial, it definitely was.
To survive, you need chemo.
To pay for chemo, you need insurance.
To keep your insurance, you need to keep working.
To pay for your rent, you need to keep working. To survive chemo, you need rest and time;
Something this merry go round doesn’t allow. It truly is a terrible system that’s in place.
Choosing between rent and food is one thing we are used to; however, this is an entirely different ball game. Alas, here we are.
Smiling through this process, because being strong is the only thing you can do. If you have more questions about my diagnosis, how I am doing, daily updates and more, feel free to visit my caringbridge health page- https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kimbersadventure
When you first learn you have cancer, your initial thoughts should be fear, not wanting to die, your future and your loved ones. Your initial thought shouldn’t have to be “but I can’t afford to have cancer”, though as an American millennial, it definitely was.
To survive, you need chemo.
To pay for chemo, you need insurance.
To keep your insurance, you need to keep working.
To pay for your rent, you need to keep working. To survive chemo, you need rest and time;
Something this merry go round doesn’t allow. It truly is a terrible system that’s in place.
Choosing between rent and food is one thing we are used to; however, this is an entirely different ball game. Alas, here we are.
Smiling through this process, because being strong is the only thing you can do. If you have more questions about my diagnosis, how I am doing, daily updates and more, feel free to visit my caringbridge health page- https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kimbersadventure
Organiser
Kimberly Smith
Organiser
New York, NY
