Clarissa was diagnosed with stage 4B Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 16 years old. She is in remission.
What’s one thing you wish you had known in those first 48 hours?
“Every diagnosis is different. No one will ever be prepared to hear news like this. Sadly the emergency room in the small East Texas town we were from was trying to run us out. I kept pushing for scans, test something. Was told by the ER doctor nothing is wrong with her, you are wasting everyone’s time. I will do some test but will take up to eight hours wait. I told him I will be here all week if I have to. Less then an hour later the nurse came back with a look. Doctor came in behind her said ambulance would come 3-4 hours later to rush us to Children’s Hospital in Houston. They couldn’t help us, but never told me what was found.”
What helped you the most in those first 48 hours?
“Stay positive, try not to show emotions, which was hard. Every reaction I had my daughter would sink it all in. I knew in those moments I had to be strong for her. Nothing really helped just being strong for her, she needed me then and there. And only god with us my other three kids left hours away alone. The two oldest one 20 one 18 and the youngest 3 yrs old.”
What is one moment in those first 48 hours that you’ll never forget?
“When the ER doctor came from Houston came in straight to my daughter hugged and told her ‘I’m sorry, you have cancer.'”
If you could go back, what’s one thing you’d tell yourself?
“Nothing would change. I know I did what I had to do for my daughter. I was an advocate for her. For months I kept pushing for answers no one would listen. No one listened until Cancer had spread and obvious signs. Still then the I was being ignored.”
This First 48 story was submitted by Gloria.