Hello there! My name is Laurena and I am a 13 year cancer survivor. At age 14 I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer of my tear gland called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma. At the time my diagnosis, I was told I was the first person to have ACC in that location, as well as the youngest for any location. (ACC typically occurs in middle aged women in the sinus area. The youngest since was diagnosed at the age of 5). My doctors had never seen that type of cancer and in May of '95 I underwent surgery for the removal of a golf ball sized tumor from behind my eye. After the biopsy came back for ACC, I was the first person ever treated with proton beam therapy for an ocular cancer (which I am honored to say that it is now one of the most widely used, and successful types of treatment for ACC). My doctors wanted to do the radiation over my summer vacation, but due to the healing process from the surgery, and needing the approval of the board of directors in charge of the proton therapy site (there were only 2 patient treating proton therapy machines in the country at that time) my radiation treatments began the day after I started my sophomore year of high school.
Despite the recommendations of the radiation staff to drop out of school, and get a tutor, I scheduled my treatments for after school and tried to live as normal a life as a teenage cancer patient can. I was dismissed from school during my last period class (4 days a week), and only missed one day of school through the 9 weeks of radiation. I also stayed as active as I could in one of the sports I did, and one day a week taught an afterschool program. I refused to let cancer decide how I lived my life.
Without the overwhelming support from my family, friends, and community I would not be the person I am today. My old band instructor, Mr. Richard Striano, held a benefit concert for my family. Also Foley Chrysler-Plymouth of Quincy, offered to fix my parents car, but when they realized it was beyond repair, instead donated a car so we could get back and forth to my treatments. AND (as if that wasn't enough) Mrs. Maureen O'Brien, who had known my family since I was in kindergarten, organized families in my community to make dinners for my family so my mother (who worked nights, and brought me to my radiation every afternoon) didn't have to worry about rushing home from my treatments to make dinner for my family (which included my 9 year old brother, and 7 year old sister).
Because of the incredible support I received, cancer was a positive learning experience instead of a difficult one. I created this site with the hope that I can touch the lives of other cancer survivors through their battle and their journey after. Because of course... surviving doesn't stop the day your treatments do! =)
Because of the incredible support I received, cancer was a positive learning experience instead of a difficult one. I created this site with the hope that I can touch the lives of other cancer survivors through their battle and their journey after. Because of course... surviving doesn't stop the day your treatments do! =)
Me & My Angels at the 2008 Relay For Life
