" Sometimes you have to be a hero just to get out of bed in the morning... -Lloyd Alexander-"

A little about me...

Hi! My name is Kimbra. I am 25 years old. I am a biomedical librarian who coordinates services for two programs - one for patient information, the other for clinician information. Some of my hobbies and interests... Reading (anything, but especially literature, romance, and some mystery); writing; singing; acting.

Information about my illness...

In 1988, when I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. I was treated at East Tennessee Children's Hospital and Thompson Cancer Survival Center. I had radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.

My words to others...

My suggestions to other survivors are... (1) Learn! The more you know about your risks and status, the better chance you have at living the long, happy, and healthy life you've worked so hard to live. Know what type of cancer and treatment you had, including drug dosages, radiation amounts and locations, etc., and anything else unique to your situation. These may help your health care providers take better care of you now; in many cases, your doctor will base early detection measures on your prior treatment. Stay informed and keep your health care team informed! (2) Document, document, document. Get copies of your medical records, or at least have your original doctor(s) write a letter for you to carry summarizing your childhood cancer history. This can be very useful if your current health care team doesn't get copies of your record in time before an appointment. (3) Be good to yourself. It has helped me immensely to try and do something just for myself every day, especially something I enjoy apart from my cancer-related volunteer activities or my job. This can be watching a movie or favorite TV program, reading a chapter in a good novel, or just sitting outside and watching the stars (or city lights, depending on where you live!). Enjoy your life. (4) Find ways to cope with the issues you face. The day of my follow-up appointments I always take the full day off and spend the rest of it relaxing, watching movies, having fun. . . . It helps relieve my stress about the checkup, and it's a great way to celebrate how far I've come. Other times I just need to be by myself and cry things out, like the deaths of friends or my fears about late effects such as secondary cancers. Whatever works for you is best. (5) Most importantly. . .always remember who you are. As childhood cancer survivors, we have a special appreciation for life. Sometimes life after childhood cancer can be very difficult - late effects, work/school/financial/ social concerns, and survivor guilt can all put a chemo-like bitter taste back in our mouths. But sometimes the bitter taste is what gives way to the sweetest taste of all. Remember that you are part of a large family. We're all in this together, and as survivors I think we know more truly than anyone what that means, and how amazing life truly is.

The most important lesson I learned from my experience is... God doesn't always let us walk around pain. . .sometimes He walks us through it. Coming to terms with that has given me a great deal of peace.

A positive outcome from my experience is... Meeting my fiance, soon-to-be husband! :) (He's also a childhood cancer survivor.) Other than that. . .I always have perspective. When everything else in my life becomes completely chaotic, I can step back and say, I'm alive. I'm alive and doing well. Somehow everything suddenly drops right into place when I remember that.

" Coming Soon: Some of my creative writing about my experiences with HD and long-term survival. . ."