Welcome to All the Wrong Boxes!

We have all been to the doctor. Well, I think we all have...

At some point throughout your visits, you have probably filled out those annoying forms. You know the forms I am talking about. The ones that they use to get to know you. The ones that ask you how many times you have caffeine, how often you eat fruits and veggies, or how much you consume alcohol. I have always thought that the alcohol question needs a option that says "not enough." #teacherlife 

I digress. Along with those "get to know you questions," there are the medical history questions. They ask if you, or anyone in your family, have experienced the following medical challenges. The list is approximately 5,000 items long and you sit there wondering, "What if my great, great, great, great grandpa had that?!" 

I used to skim those questions. I would jump the C section and check "cancer," write a brief note explaining how my cancer was long ago and no longer a big issue, and move on. That question didn't scare me. My medical problems were in the past, they didn't affect me all these years later, right?

Wrong. So wrong. I look back at past Sarah, so naive, so carefree... and so much skinnier than I am now... and shake my head. Girl, if only you knew. 

If only you knew that your cancer experience in 1995 would affect you in 2019. If only you knew that your eye problems were the tip of a very complicated iceberg. If only you knew that your life could change in the span of a week, that your body could have a personal crisis, that your plans would be altered because of something 24 years in your past. 

All the wrong boxes. That is what I check now. I sit in the office and check all sorts of boxes. Consistent inflammation? Check. Photosensitivity? Check. Hypothyroidism? Check. Irregular womanly times? Check. Chronic fatigue? Check. On and off joint pain? Check. Lymphedema? Check. Roller coaster emotions? Check. 

It is hard to check those boxes. It is hard to accept your body isn't what it was 11 months ago. You sit in those offices checking those boxes, angry, frustrated, sad, worried. What if I have to check more boxes as time goes? 

I write this blog for the cancer survivors like me. The ones who sit in the office and have to check all the wrong boxes. The ones who cry at night because they are overwhelmed with strange symptoms, incorrect diagnosis, or financial stress. The ones who experienced challenges directly following treatments and the ones who, like me, were blindsided years down the road. The ones who don't have support from medical professionals, the ones who fight to be heard, and the ones like me, who have amazing medical support but just don't know what next steps to take. 

I write because cancer late effects need to be talked about. People who fought to survive shouldn't have to struggle alone due to lack of resources, information, and support. I write because I want to make a difference so others in the future don't have to experience what I have gone through.

Welcome to All The Wrong Boxes, a blog about my personal experiences with cancer late effects. I am so glad you have joined me on my journey. Buckle up, get comfy, and put your hands in the air: the ride is more fun that way! 

~Sarah