" You were made a survivor to help others to survive. "

A little about me...

Hi! My name is Tom. I am 30 years old. I am Woodworker. Some of my hobbies and interests... Woodworking, Advocate for survivors of Side effects of Childhood Cancer Leukemia .

Information about my illness...

In 71, when I was 3 years old, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. I was treated at Wilford Hall Medical Center Lackland Air Force Base San Antonio Texas. I had radiation and chemotherapy.

My words to others...

My suggestions to other survivors are... Because of you and your struggle to survive. You have blazed a trail for other cancer patients to follow in your path. Be proud of what you have achieves. Celebrate life and invite the others behind you on the trail to join in on the party.

The most important lesson I learned from my experience is... That having a sense of humor is the best cure for any ailment or sickness. Don't worry... Be HAPPY!

A positive outcome from my experience is... I have become a more understanding, compassionate and determined individual because of my cancer experiences. I want to help other survivors of childhood cancer deal with there long term side effects. So they do not have to go through what I did.

" I am a survivor of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. I was treated in 1971 at the age of three. I don't remember quite everything, but I will do my best. The doctors at the time decided to treat me with radiation to the head and spine as a preventative measure and top it off with chemotherapy. You know the usual, Methotrexate, Cytoxin, 6mp, Prednisone, and Vincristine. Quite a bit for a little guy to handle. But, I was a real trooper. Cute too! Shortly afterward thanks to the doctors aggressive and successful treatments, I was cured. No more cancer! Yahoo! I went on to lead a normal life. Well I thought it was going to be normal. The cancer stayed away, but I began to notice some changes in my life. Well, I really didn't notice at the time. A little hindsight helped a lot. I am thirty now, and have been researching the long-term side-effects of cancer therapy, particularly therapy on those around the age of three when they received therapy. Now that I have had time to review the last 30 years of my life, I have noticed some differences between my peers and myself. I have some memory/learning problems, my thyroid is out of balance, testosterone levels are low, and I have arthritis. I'm a little short too, but I make up for that with personality and a sense of humor. "