After thirteen years of remission, Bridget Frosina was apparently cured for good, yet a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her something was wrong.
Frosina was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at age 3 and underwent treatment for three years with positive results. Her body showed no trace of leukemic blasts in her bone marrow and her blood cells had a normal presence. Nevertheless, at age 16, the symptoms of her cancer reemerged. Upon experiencing back pains, cold sores, and increased amounts of acne, she started routine check-ups with her doctor. An MRI detected an increased density in her back area, which her doctor claimed was normal in childhood cancer patients. Yet despite his comforting words, Bridget knew better. “I looked at my mom and said no, it's back. And like any mother she told me to stop thinking like that. Little did she know, I was right”, recounts Frosina.
According to Karen Seiter, MD at NY Medical College, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in children. It is a malignant disease of the bone marrow, in which immature white blood cells are overproduced. The word acute refers to the short span in which the disease acts- it is fatal even after a few weeks of not being treated. After five years of remission from this cancer, a relapse is uncommon. Yet Frosina is the first person to have exactly the same type of cancer after thirteen years of clean health.
In December of 2006, Frosina started a new type of chemotherapy, this time with the use of corticoidsteroids. The new type of treatment was an utter foe to her self-esteem and teenage vanity. Her hair loss, bloating, and weight gain due to the chemotherapy and steroids, naturally triggered a vast amount of self-consciousness. “The first day everyone found out and visited me I sat in my hospital bed and straightened my [remaining] hair and put on make-up and bargained with the nurses to take the IV's out for so long so that my friends wouldn't see me as the sick girl”, tells Frosina. Yet between the side effects of the chemo and the high fevers, which left her septic for up to five days, it was quite a challenge to keep the appearance of not being sick. Rather than pretending, Frosina decided to take control.
Iliana Begetis, Frosina’s best friend recounts the first time she started experiencing hair loss, “She was sitting watching tv and as she combed her fingers through her hair a lock fell. Anyone else would’ve freaked out at that very moment! Instead, Bridget just looked at the fallen lock, got up, grabbed a pair of scissors, went into the bathroom, and chopped all of her hair off.” Begetis talks about Frosina with admiration and pride. Bridget considers herself lucky for being surrounded by people who strived to keep her positive during her disease, “There were days when I just didn't want to do anything and in a way gave up because I was just so tired of dealing with everything. But my friends wouldn't let me be like that and I really believe they are the reason I was the way I was throughout the whole thing.” Yet she did not receive the same amount of support from everyone who surrounded her. Her lack of family support was what affected her the most. She received no phone calls, no letters, and absolutely no manifestations of care from neither her grandparents, her aunts, or her uncles. Yet her inner strength and desire to battle her disease, predominated over any affliction she encountered. In August of 2008, she successfully completed her chemotherapy and has been in remission ever since.
This is her story. I have shared it with you for simply one reason: this story inspires. Everything that she is today connects to her cancer survival. The pain she felt made her human and compassionate; the endurance she gained made her determined and strong; her proximity to defeat made her more eager to succeed; her storm of grief triggered a clear sky of happiness. Right now, as a sophomore at U Conn, Bridget’s main goals lie in her nursing career, living her life one day at a time, and not sweating over trivial things. Lance Armstrong, says we have two options in life: give up or fight like hell. Bridget always opts for the latter- always.
No comments:
Post a Comment