Weronika, Poland

I was 22 years old when I heard the diagnose -lymphoma.  

I was in the final semester of my engineering studies, just three months away from defending my thesis and only a week into my dream job. And then, like a bolt from the blue, this news struck me.

In a single second, my life was turned upside down. I was terrified, devastated, and overwhelmed by emotions that, to this day, I still struggle to describe.

I was afraid, but not of dying. Surprisingly, throughout the entire treatment process, with all its ups and downs, not once did I think about death. I feared the future and the fact that I would have to start my professional and personal life all over again.

I received an overwhelming amount of support and prayers from my family, friends, and even people I hadn’t been in touch with for years. Yet, the biggest battle was one I had to fight on my own. No hug or warm words could ease the pain of this fight - the pain of the treatment itself, but also the struggle of returning to reality, when words simply cannot explain what is happening within us. When we know we are not fully understood, because unless someone has been through the same thing, they cannot truly imagine what we, as patients, endure.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who didn’t forget about me and stood by my side through it all.

Thanks to them, I am where I am today. Before the illness, I didn’t pay much attention to how I spent time with others, how I rewarded myself, or how I enjoyed my own company. Now, I embrace life, and I have countless plans to fulfill. I started traveling more, I completed both my engineering and masters degrees, and I plan to go skydiving again and learn how to sew. And this is just the beginning.

This illness changed my perspective on life and made me realize that I have to live in a way that leaves no room for regret. no regrets about what I didn’t do, didn’t try, or didn’t explore.

I wish everyone strength and perseverance.

-Weronika