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Jennie
Yang
"Going through
chemotherapy treatment, I could not think of anything good
that could possibly come out of
cancer.
Now, being two and half years of treatment I can clearly
see the positive aftermath that cancer has had on me, and
would not take it away for anything."
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Jennie says, "To those
of you who are currently going through treatment for
cancer, or know someone who has the disease, my greatest
advice
is to never lose hope and to keep your spirits high.
Trust me when I say that everything has a purpose, and
your experience
with cancer will enrich your life, and the lives of so
many others who watch you as you courageously march through
your battle. As unbelievable as it may sound, the friendships
you form and the lessons you learn will make the experience
worthwhile. Keep fighting--you are in my prayers."
Jennie Speaking at the Relay for Life
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Jennie Yang was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma,
a type of bone cancer, on November 26, 2004. She was a sophomore
in high school in Superior, Colorado. Being an active teenager
and after noticing pain in her left hip, she attributed the pain
to being out of shape and sore from playing on the school volleyball
team. By the end of the season,
the pain grew increasingly worse, and Jennie went to the doctor’s
office for a visit, when she was referred to get an MRI. Once the
results were in, it showed a tumor on not only her
left hip, but her right hip
as well.
The
doctors
predicted
that
the tumors were most likely bone cancer tumors, and the biopsies
confirmed their suspicions.
Two days after Jennie was diagnosed, she started chemotherapy
treatments, each treatment lasting a few days.
She underwent 28 rounds of chemotherapy, each round consisting of five different
chemotherapy drugs.
Alongside with chemotherapy, Jenny underwent multiple surgeries to remove the
bone tumors and additional surgeries for hip reconstructions. As a result from
the chemotherapy, Jennie's immune system was so suppressed that she was unable
to fight off infections like a common cold, and had additional side effects
including nausea, vomiting, fatigue, mouth and body sores,
and she endured many hip infections.
As Jennie was going through treatment, her body continued to grow
weaker, but her spirits grew stronger as the blessings piled
up. She says, "I made
friendships
with
doctors,
nurses, and other cancer patients, most
of whom I cannot imagine life without. When I hit emotional lows, I witnessed
how kind and wonderful humans can be when my friends, family, and teachers
sent me emails, presents, and cards of encouragement. When
I felt I was too weak to
perservere, they gave me strength and hope. I was constantly amazed
at how much having cancer opened my eyes to the beauty of the world."
When she was going through treatments, when Jennie's body was so
exhausted both emotionally and physically from her cancer treatments
and surgeries, she found it hard to imagine anything good associated
with cancer. Jennie states, "I could not think of anything
good that could possibly come out
of
cancer.
Now,
being two
and half years of treatment
I can clearly see the positive aftermath that
cancer has had on me, and would not take it away for anything."
Today, Jennie is a sophomore at the
University of Southern California, and is focusing her studies
on pre-medicine. After experiencing cancer first-hand, she wishes
to give her knowledge, strength and courage to others in the future
experiencing an illness. She wants to contribute to the
scientific field of finding a cure. Jennie is involved in the American
Cancer
Society and the Relay for Life events, and is loving her life as
a college student by living in the moment.
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