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Patient Testimonials Dear Professor Kenan, I enjoyed my recent visit to your office and I am very happy to introduce myself to your patients. My name is Damon and I am 24 years old. I'm a city kid but my family now lives in Delaware. I'm studying to be a lawyer and my favorite hobby is golf. I'll probably never be Tiger Woods but I wouldn't mind being his lawyer some day.
I'm very lucky because I have a loving family that has been with me through thick and thin. In a sense, its like going to war. You need people you can rely on and trust. The patient has the easiest job. The parents and guardians worry over the medical bills, insurance, schooling, hospital stays and a thousand other things. The patient just needs to be mentally tough. He or she has to be observant and talk with the other patients. Doctors can only say so much. The other patients will open your eyes to their problems and often give you inspiration.
The reality of my situation is that I have grown to almost six feet tall. This has necessitated more than one operation. I walk without a limp because I went through gait therapy. Running is something I do not like to do. However, I feel no pain and have no other side effects. My left foot is one size smaller than my right foot, but if you go to an established shoe store they will make the proper adjustments. I have a seven inch scar around my left kneecap that is probably less noticeable than 50% of the knee scars of the players in the Football League (NFL). What I am trying to say is that I am not embarrassed to wear shorts in the summer. I'm not ashamed of my leg. My father calls it a real Chippendale. People do not notice my scar and when they do, they think it is a sports related injury. If asked, I will tell them the truth. I appear to be the average guy on the street that has never experienced a major medical problem. But you know and I know that I was in a life and death struggle.
Finally, stay close to your family! Give your parents a hug because they need it. Your parents are not as tough as they seem. You are now the center of their world. We are the tough guys and tough guys can sometimes give hugs. Finally, to the parent or parents I would say: don't be surprised if you actually become friends with your child. You have no idea how strong the bond is that is being established. You will see I am right in another ten years when cancer is only a distant but horrifying memory. May the road rise to meet you and may the wind be at your back. From my heart,
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When I was 12 years old the doctors found a tumor on my left leg near the kneecap (distal femur). I was playing little league baseball at the time and I thought it was just tendentious. It was a huge shock to my whole family. No one could sleep. We were all on pins and needles. We visited several hospitals and saw a number of doctors. That's when I met Professor Kenan and his colleagues. Its tough to make an important personal decision, but you have to make it. Professor Kenan didn't have as many titles then but we placed our trust in Professor Kenan. I don't for one second regret the decision my family made. But how did we get to that point? Many of the doctors we consulted wanted to simply amputate my leg. Everyone in my family remembers my father, with tears in his eyes, emphatically stating that that was not an acceptable option. Some of the doctors attempted to justify the amputation technique by saying that it was the same procedure performed on Senator Edward Kennedy's son. Professor Kenan and his colleagues offered the only viable internal prothesis technique. Hence, I am proud to say that he has been my doctor for twelve healthful years.
When I was just starting treatment I met a young man with almost the exact same tumor related problem. He had completed treatment and was enrolled in Princeton University. He wanted to be a doctor and was an avid golfer. He looked like and was a regular, well adjusted guy. I can't tell you how much of an inspiration he was to my whole family. To see that there was hope and normality at the end of all the confusion was a beautiful gift.
A child that has gone through cancer treatment necessarily adopts an attitude similar to water (problems) rolling off a duck's back. Most, but not all, are shy and retiring. They have seen the worst and like war-scarred veterans, everyday problems do not enter into the equation. This feeling never goes away. My father often jokes that if the house were burning down I'd ask if there was time enough to eat. Just as the attitude of the patient changes so do the attitudes of parents and guardians. Parents become overprotective. Even a younger sister will become your mother hen. Most kids that have gone through cancer will accept this for what it is: a sign of LOVE. Even the doctors can get into the act. There was a young man in his late teens from the Bronx who liked fast cars and motorcycles. He'd come rolling into the clinic in his motorcycle leathers flashing a big smile. Most of the young nurses thought he was quite handsome. The doctors would tell him that riding a motorcycle was a huge "No No" because of the possibility of injury to his prosthesis. He'd just smile and put his arm around the doctors and say he'd be careful. Most of the parents thought he was foolish, but to many of the other patients he was an inspiration. The boy from the Bronx knew what he loved and cancer was not about to interfere with his dreams. Dreams are important to kids with cancer. Everyone is always telling you what you can't do. What you want is rarely discussed. But, I'd definitely give motorcycles a wide berth.