My daughter was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in September of 2016. We noticed that Aliya had one calf muscle that was bigger than the other one. She played and acted like a normal 3-year-old so we really didn’t think anything of it. She was not complaining or in pain at all. We took her to see physicians but it was misdiagnosed several times. One doctor even told us it was probably the result of a bug bite!
By the time we received a cancer diagnosis, the cancer had spread to other parts of her body and she was diagnosed with stage IV. She completed 42 weeks of intensive frontline chemo, in addition to a full two years of maintenance chemo. She has had countless MRIs, CTs, Ultrasounds, PETs, X-Rays, and blood draws.
At the end of her 42 weeks of treatment, she was also diagnosed with PTSD. She faced many struggles throughout her treatment and became very fearful of medical personnel. She has also since been diagnosed with a learning disability which also makes school a struggle.
We cannot imagine what our life was like before cancer. We were so carefree. It’s hard to imagine. We are so happy that she made it through treatment and is cancer free, but her physical and psychological struggles remain. We try and lead as normal a life as possible, but it’s hard to relate to other families who have not had the same experience.
Hope session by Mint Photography