When Langley was diagnosed with Lymphoma at the age of 13, it rocked his world. Our whole family was affected by this cancer diagnosis but decided they would count it down as a journey, not forever. Some days felt like forever… We’re happy to share that in the past two years, he completed treatment, is in remission, and went on his wish trip to Alaska! Cancer will forever be part of his past, hopefully never part of his future.
Langley was told by six different doctors it was not cancer – one of which said absolutely not cancer. It started as a 2cc lymph node under his chin, then it was 4cc 5 months later. We went from an ENT and then all the way to infectious diseases who said it was caused by a birth defect. We removed the node after medications failed to shrink it for “cosmetic reasons” 2 weeks before school. Then the call came it was cancer.
Langley’s dad left on active duty 1 week before he got diagnosed. His older brother Eric left for his freshman year of college the week before we started chemo. Missing both of them during this time was extremely hard on Langley. Isabella, his twin, had to be left with a lady from church when we were in the hospital and also had more responsibility for our home & cats in our absence at 13 yrs old.
Since we were fairly new to Florida there was no one to visit us in the hospital. There were no visitors to visit our home for that homebound year or dropped off meals (maybe 1-2). We have no family that could come help. It was a lonely time.
It kinda shell shocked us here. Three years into remission we are trying to find normalcy again between frequent rechecks. Things are getting better .. its been a long road – but we are looking forward not backward.
It’s been a long road, emotionally. He has never given up on faith or trying to recover. He attends oncology camps and that’s when he seems the most himself. He walked into that hospital one person and came out a total emotionally another person. It’s a journey – we just miss counted naively thinking it was over when we left the hospital. Actually, it was just beginning.
Hope session by Wild Eyed Photography | Facebook | Instagram