The whole reason I want to become a doctor is because I lost my Grandma Betty to cancer in 2007 and I took it really hard. And my determination to get through all the schooling and go through the hard times is because of my Grandma Betty. I want to make it my goal to help find a cure for cancer so another little girl can have her grandma or someone close to them in their lives another day.
But this recent one was one of my best friends' grandpa. We play volleyball together and her grandparents came to all the games and tournaments. So her family became my second family and I still turn to them when I need something. Well one day her mom came over to my house and asked to speak to my mom. They sat in the room talking for hours it seemed like both with tears and laugher and I wanted to find out what was going on. Finally she left and my mom sat me down and told me that my best friend's grandpa had cancer and he has less than 3 months to live.
I tried to be there for them as much as I could but I just cried every time too because it brought up my past and he was a really sweet guy and didn't deserve it. So one day my mom was on the computer and finds out he died. He lasted around a month but couldn't hold on anymore. Of course I cried but to me it didn't really hit me. I don't know why but I felt like oh he's going to be at the next volleyball game. I'll see him again. I even went to the viewing and it still didn't even hit me.
Finally, later that week my best friend went to a camp that my college was putting on and I was just thinking there is only going to be 3 grandparents from now on and I became sad and I didn't know what to do. I mean they are my support when my family couldn't make it to my games and I got so close to all of them I can't believe one is gone forever.
It reminded of me why I want to become an oncologist so bad! I want to save that grandparent/parent in that kid's life for even a day or week longer because I'm realizing very quickly that everybody's time is limited and in a blink of an eye u can lose anyone. So as I just enter my freshman year of college and I look forward to med school, I realize I don't care how many years of school I have to take, if I can finally become an oncologist and help someone live a couple more days to stay in their loved ones' lives I will be happy.
Cancer can happen to anyone. Sometimes it happens slowly and people catch it in the beginning but other times, it happens so fast that they didn't even know it was happening until they are already at Stage 4. And I want to learn as much as I can to find a way to help people deal with it and not think of it as a death wish.
