Personal Narrative: The Event That Changed My Life

Everything started abruptly, but at the same time, it didn’t. They said the tumor has been developing for months before we noticed. When it first started forming, I don’t know. I was only twelve years old when I developed my juvenile granulosa cell tumor. In December of 2012, my parents and I started noticing my belly getting bigger and rounder. At the time, I was embarrassed by it because I believed it was just due to weight gain. I’d attempt to hide my ever-growing bump at school by wearing sweaters and sweatshirts. In the shower I recall looking down and not being able to see my toes. It looked like someone had shoved a watermelon in my belly. In other words, I looked pregnant. I was experiencing pains in my lower back, but those were more of just small annoyances. I’d often complain to my parents, and eventually, they talked with me about going to the pediatrics.

I ended up being sent to our local hospital for a CT scan. That’s the day I learned that I really hate IV’s. I refused to even move my right arm in fear that it would poke something else. When the scan came back, they reported finding suspicious spots in the tumor (although at the time they thought it was just a cyst.) They referred me to the UK hospital that night. I hugged my many sibling goodbye as we all tried to hold back tears. That was one of the few times I actually realized what I was getting into was serious.The hour drive was filled with fear of what was wrong and shock that there was something wrong. Taken into the ER, I was constantly being questioned by groups of students and doctors that would enter my room. No one had any answers, only questions and hypotheses. After long hours of complaining about the constant blood blood drawing I was finally taken into a hospital room to sleep at 4