My Childhood With Cancer

"Bad things happen to good people"

Quite often we are watching the news and seeing tragic accidents happening or hearing from a relative that a family member has died. Have you ever thought to yourself, why do bad things happen to good people?

Well this is my story.
It all started with me. It was 2014, mum took me to the doctors every week, she was getting worried. She knew something was wrong. The doctor didn't know what I had, then after 2 weeks, he diagnosed me with flu symptoms. Every 5 days my brother Dylan would come home from school, he was in grade 10 and I was in grade 9. When he finally got home walking from school, he'd walk into the computer room where I was and he would say to me, "Ashton stop faking a sickie, I know your faking, you got to go back to school. " Then I'd reply, "Dylan I'm not faking, my belly really hurts and also my legs hurt when I run and Dylan I know I need to go to school but I can't just sit there in pain, it will be hard to concentrate." "Bull, your faking a sickie." That's all he would say in an unkind way. But he was wrong and the doctor was also wrong as well, I had something way worse than just flu symptoms.

A few days later I started to get bruises on my legs. For that one second, a terrible thought crossed my mind. I looked up at mum and said, "Do I have cancer?" I could see the worried look spread upon her face. Then she started yammering on about how there was no way I could have cancer. So the next day we went to go see my doctor, Dr Aung. We asked him about it, then mum asked if I could get a blood test. He agreed.

That day after seeing the doctor, we went to go get a blood test done. About 2 hours later Dr Aung rang mum up and told her to grab me and take me to the Townsville hospital straight away. As we were in the Children emergency room waiting, a doctor came in and explained some stuff that I can't remember and that's when she told us ' I had Leukaemia. After the doctor told us, mum started crying, dad was in shock and I, was numb and speechless.

That night we stayed at the Townsville Hospital. They took us to a room to sleep in before we went to Brisbane the next day. They took us to the children's ward.

The next day the flying doctors flew us to Brisbane. We asked how long we'd be there for. The nurses said we'd probably be there for 2 or 6 weeks. The nurses were very wrong about that. We were there for 1 year. The day that I was diagnosed, it was the 20th of August, 8 days after my 14th birthday. I guess you could say it was the worst birthday present anyone could ever get.

It's been 2 years and a half and I'm finally finished chemo treatment. Throughout the journey, I've been through some scary stuff, things a typical teenager shouldn't have to experience. There has been three occasions when I nearly faced death. The first time i had a fungal infection in my lungs.

The second was when I got the fungal infection in my lungs for the second time but it was a lot worse then the first. My fungal infection spread to my liver and spleen also and one night a nurse had to flush my portacath to clean it, little did she know, my infection went to my portacath and when the nurse flushed it, the infection went straight to my heart and caused it to slow down dangerously. The doctors and nurses rushed around me while I was out of it but my eyes were flickering, says my mum. The doctor had to fill a big ass needle with noradrenaline to speed up my heart, to save me. I didn't know this happened at all until my mother told me a year after I finished chemotherapy. That experience traumatised her a-lot. She nearly lost her daughter.

I remember thinking before it happened that I had to live and survive this for my brother. He was all I thought about whenever I took a turn for the worse. I'm very close with my brother and yes we may fight but it's always been him and I against the world.

The third time, I remember distinctly. One night I was in a lot of pain and I had a blood test that day. During that night after dinner, a doctor from the Ayr Hospital rang up and told mum to take me to the hospital straight away. When we were at the hospital and the doctor told me that my potassium levels were very low and if I didn't get a blood test that day, I would've been at home and my heart would've stopped while I slept that night. So that night while waiting for the helicopter to arrive, they were giving me some potassium liquid for me to drink to help build up my potassium levels. I got to tell you something, it tasted horrible, and it was absolutely disgusting. I'd rather eat the hottest chilli in the world than drink that again.