Can you believe it has been almost six years since I campaigned with Community Health Charities of Nebraska?!
In those six years, I graduated from high school, attended and completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and Public Relations at UNK in four years and now I am back in Grand Island working as a Program and State Fair Volunteer Coordinator for the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce.
The last six years have been anything but smooth, but I never once questioned putting my education or life on pause to let my disease take over. I still battle my Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia day in and day out, but I have learned to take it in stride. Some days are still “poor- me” days when I feel defeated. But I also have days when I feel like I can move mountains. My lab work results could be mistaken for a rollercoaster builders' plan! Through the ups and downs, one thing I have learned is that it’s all about having a positive mindset. Is it fair? Absolutely not. Does it ‘ruin’ my plans often? Absolutely.
No one is guaranteed a life without illness. It truly can happen to anyone, but thanks to resources like Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, I’m not alone. I have support—mentally, physically, financially.
My illness has rerouted my life. It has brought me closer to some and further from others. It has taken my good health and hopeful future and flipped it upside down. I no longer know what the future holds for me, but I do know one thing: I will not let it win.