Interview

My friends daughter interviewed Ashtyn for a paper she had to write. I thought I’d share:

Questions for Ashtyn:
1. What type of cancer do you have?
Acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL)

2. When were you first diagnosed?
January 30, 2013. Then October 9th 2016. And February 14th 2018.

3. What stage were you diagnosed with?
Leukemia does not have stages. You either have leukemia or you don’t. However AUL is the most rare form of leukemia and less than 1% of leukemia patients have it.

4. What was your first reaction when you were told that you had cancer? When I was 12 years old I freaked out and was so scared. I couldn’t even handle the word cancer. For two weeks, as I wrapped my brain around it, I didn’t want anyone in my hospital room talking medical talk or using the “c” word. When I relapsed in February I was scared, in denial, and disappointed. I knew the routine and the basic process but each cancer fight is different so you never know what to expect.

5. How many times have you relapsed?
Three times fighting. Two relapses.

6. What is your treatment process like? My treatment process includes high doses of chemotherapy to get rid of leukemia as soon as possible. Once I’m in remission, the next step in the treatment process is to receive a bone marrow transplant because of how high risk my cancer is. A BMT provides the best chance for me to stay in remission. It takes my body at least one year to recover from a BMT.

7. How do you find the strength to go through the treatments?
One: I try to look forward to what life will be like when I’m finished. Two: I have so many people around me who encourage me and believe I can do it. Because people believe in me, I am able to believe more in myself. This helps me try my best. Three: I’m not alone because God helps me and is there through it all.

8. Do you live your life differently than you did before you were diagnosed?
Yes. When you are isolated from the world for so long and restricted from things you want to do, I’ve learned what’s important and what’s not. When I get back to the real world, it sticks and I find myself not worrying about things I would have worried about had I not gotten sick. I’ve learn to appreciate life more and savor the little things instead of waiting for big occasions. I’ve learned to treat everyday like it’s a special occasion.

9. What’s the best part of spending time in the hospital? One: Talking with the nurses and doctors. Two: Knowing if something goes wrong, I’m in the safest place. Three: Being able to spend so much time with my mom. She knows me more than my doctors. It’s nice to have someone who understands and has my back. She’s seen it all in the past five years so she knows better than anyone what’s best for me and can advocate for me.

What’s the worst? Knowing there’s nowhere I can go. I’m trapped until they discharge me. Also, being far away from and not seeing family or friends.

10. What message would you like to provide for others? To be patient no matter how long or hard the road seems. Things will get better and then you’ll be able to look back and see your growth.

11. What do you like to do in your free time? In the hospital there’s a lot less free time than one might think. Doctors and therapist and nurses and techs and many others come into my room everyday and keep me busy. If I do have a few hours to myself, I take advantage and sleep before the next person comes in.

12. What do you hope for the future?
I hope that my cancer never comes back and that I can live the normal life I’ve always wanted. I hope to go to college and become a pediatric cancer nurse. I hope to travel the world on humanitarian missions. I want to get married, have kids, and enjoy a healthy life.

Questions for Ashtyn’s mother:

1. What was your first reaction when you were told that Ashtyn had cancer?
I felt that it was in God’s hands. I felt to ask people to pray for her, do my part by standing by her through it all, and then trust God that He would take care of her.

2. How has this affected you and your children? We are much more simple and calm. We appreciate the very small things and don’t worry about things that don’t matter. We have always been very united and close but we each are individually stronger and more capable of handling hard things.

3. Have different things become important to you since your child has been ill? What’s important to me is the same: God, family, and impacting others for good. What is different is that everything else isn’t important anymore.

4. How did you find the strength to get through this? Faith, hope, and trusting God has given me strength I would have never had otherwise. Also, being optimistic and looking at the positive side of everything is crucial. There’s never a bad day, just bad moments. Complaining and negativity is never helpful. It’s important to feel and process pain, fear, anger, disappointment, and whatever other feelings that come. Without soaking too long in the negative, there’s a time to let go of negative thoughts and focus on noticing all the good because blessings and happy things are always present.

5. How have your values changed?
My values are the same. I’ve learned so much through the cancer fight that I hope I’m a least a little better at living those values.