Donated Bone Enhances Teen’s Life (page 3)

Just Halfway To Finished

Erica Krahl

But even though Erica’s kill rate was 100 percent, she’s still only halfway done with her chemotherapy.

The chemo must continue, Dr. Albano said, to ensure any remaining cancer cells are destroyed.

“We still worry, even after removing the bone,” Dr. Sue said. “In theory the tumor is gone. But you always worry that something is hanging around.”

When Erica’s chemotherapy began, Carol began keeping a calendar tracking her progress.

“We used to look at the calendar and say, ‘Look how far away Thanksgiving is. Look how far away Christmas is,’” Carol said. “Now when you look at it there’s five months marked off – three more months to go. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”

And along the way, Erica and her family have learned a great deal: Erica’s cancer has put things into perspective.

“I have lost a lot of friends,” Erica said, because most of them didn’t know how to handle her cancer. “But my life is better, because I have learned that most people aren’t my friends. I’m lucky for that. I might not have known that otherwise.”

And based on her experiences with the doctors and nurses at Children’s, Erica has decided to become a nurse. 

“Children’s has been really good to us,” Larry said. “The nurses are incredible. Dr. Albano and Dr. Sue were a godsend to Erica. When they come into the room, she just lights up. They do so many things to aid to the healing process.

“Most people go through their whole lives without realizing what’s really important. She got that opportunity at an early age.”

The doctors and nurses at Children’s are equally impressed with Erica and her parents.

“Erica is very mature for her age and brave, and accepts chemo as part of her life,” said Jennifer Jones, Erica’s secondary nurse.          

Dr. Sue said, “Chemotherapy is not easy, and she does it with a smile on her face. She’s a trouper. It’s hard to be a teen and get chemo and be bald. And her parents get it. They are always thinking about how lucky they are, not how unlucky they are.”

Carol realized the cancer has brought the whole family closer.

“A lot of good has come out of this,” she said. “At a time when teens are usually backing away from their parents, we have a bond that will never be broken.

“It’s a nightmare, but we get through it. It’s something we do. Our lives stopped on October 1. They’ll resume again around June 1. If we didn’t find the cancer, it might not have been such a great birthday next year.

“We’re still stuck in October, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our kids are our lives, and this is just a bump in the road. We’ll all go back to life again – but with different priorities and knowing that all things are possible with faith and laughter.”

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