I don't know if the left ventricle of my heart will continue to deteriorate. Or if my liver will hold up. There are too many things that I just don't know. Sometimes survivors have to alter their life plans because cognitive or physical disabilities truly limit future possibilities. It can be very difficult for survivors, their families, and friends to accept that the price they paid for life has irrevocably changed the future.
Cancer often gives children or teens their first glimpse of the medical world.
I had so much contact with the medical field that I became fascinated with it. I started out in adult intensive care, and then did pediatric home healthcare. One of the great things about nursing is that you can jump around and do all sorts of different things. My cancer changed my career aspirations. When I was a teenager I wanted to be a cop, but after cancer I decided to be a doctor.