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Patient Story |
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Bevin United States male Living with ALL for 6 years, 1 month Age: 30 I remember the first day I realized something was wrong. I was moving things into my new apartment. I walked up one flight of stairs and began having chest pains. I thought to myself, "24-years-old and chest pains?" Along with the cough and fatigue that seemed to get worse, I knew that something was not right. I went to see my doctor the next day to get antibiotics for what I thought was the flu. He gave me antibiotics, but also insisted on a blood test because he believed my pale face looked abnormal. His hunch probably saved my life. Two days later, he called insisting I go to the hospital because my blood counts were extremely low. At first, the doctors assumed that I had internal bleeding from somewhere. After running some tests, I was visited by the head hematologist at the hospital. "We think there may be something much more serious going on," he said. He paused with this very disturbed face and said, "leukemia." I was silent. ¡ˇăI thought, ¡ˇăCancer? Not me. How could this be possible?¡ˇŔ I was in denial. Denial turned to depression as I questioned how many days I had left to live. I cried at the thought of not fulfilling my dream of having a family and children of my own. I showed no emotion, as upset as I felt. Then I realized something that changed my life. Cancer, although one of the deadliest diseases, was not unbeatable. It can be beat. I was put in a predicament where I had a decision to make. Let this disease get the best of me, or fight like I have never fought before. I chose to fight. I am still fighting today. And winning. I am alive today, and having a miraculous recovery because of my savior, my family and my friends whom would call me for no reason at all, and who were not too proud to get on their knees and say a prayer for me. "You can learn a lot about a person by the company he keeps," someone once said. I was able to be strong and endure because of what I experienced with my friends and family and the strength that I see in all of them. My parents always knew their only son could and would survive this obstacle. And last but definitely not least, my sisters did all they could to make this experience a little bit easier by encouraging me to make the best out of what life gives you and by always believing that their only brother was a true soldier. For all of you like me looking for inspiration, look to yourselves. You're a lot stronger than you think. We are all soldiers fighting a war with cancer. And we can win. Bevin Varughese Full-time Cancer Fighter |
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