Narrative Essay - My Journey

My Journey

My head was beating like a jackhammer as I sat in the waiting room of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s emergency room.  I was trying to study for my fifth grade Social Studies test but I was distracted by screaming babies, the wails of sirens, and the constant movement of hospital personnel. My mom sat next to me and flipped through an old People magazine as we waited for the doctor to call me in for a cat scan. I had been having bad headaches for some months and this day I had come home from school with my left eye going in toward my nose.  Our pediatrician told us to go to Children’s Hospital immediately and here we sat.

        Finally, the doctor called my name and I entered the X-ray room. I climbed into the giant, spacecraft-looking machine and tried to relax for whatever was coming next. Soon loud beeps and rings came from the machine as I lay as still as a corpse. After what seemed like an eternity, the machine stopped and I was once again sitting back in the waiting room. This constant waiting was really interrupting my studying and it was making me nervous for the huge test. Soon after, the doctor called us into a tiny patient room. She sat us down with the scan results in her hand and a serious look on her face. What she told us next would change all aspects of my life and transform the lives of my family in ways that we could never predict.                                                                        

        The doctor showed us a blurry picture of an outline of my head with scribbled writing and arrows pointing to different parts of my brain. She told us that my scans showed growth of a tumor on the right side of my brain. She went on to explain that my tumor had grown to the size of an adult male’s fist and immediately had to be operated on. Being only eleven years old at the time, I was extremely confused on what exactly a tumor was and why it was so serious. My mom, however, turned white as a ghost and appeared to have many mixed emotions.  This scary day in the emergency room began a life-changing journey for me that has had many positive benefits.

        It turned out that the tumor was malignant, so after the surgery I had to undergo thirty radiation treatments and five rounds of chemotherapy. During my second round of chemo, I received a call from my radiation therapist. She spoke to me and my parents about a program called The Friend’s of Jaclyn Foundation that matched children with brain tumors with college level sports teams in order to support the child and their families while they struggled with this illness. The University of Cincinnati Bearcat football team was looking for someone and she had recommended me. I was a bit skeptical at first, but I agreed to join and was accepted into the Bearcat family. This was turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.  The constant contact with the players helped me get through many hard days in the hospital and ultimately helped me get better. My presence within the team encouraged them to have an undefeated season and earn a trip to the Sugar Bowl as well.  A close bond was formed.

        My illness also helped my family grow closer. My mom stayed with me in the hospital while the rest of my family lived at home. Since I only got to go home for a few weeks, we took advantage of the small things we could do together. Playing board games, going on hikes, and just spending more time with each other strengthened all of our relationships with each other. I also spent much more time with my grandma and my aunts and uncles. They often visited while my mom went home to see my siblings. My long visits in the hospital helped me get to know my family better and find the importance in the things we did together.