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The Race of Her Life
By Nina Patten
Seventeen-year-old Amy Jensen from Estherville, Iowa, has been participating in cross country since eighth grade. She loves to run and thrives on the camaraderie of her teammates.
Athletes competing in cross country races complete a two and one-half mile run over a variety of courses. They train extensively throughout the year and are constantly striving to improve their times. There may be one individual who crosses the finish line first but it is the combined scores of the top five runners that determine the winner of the meet.
Amy’s endurance is now being tested in a new way.
Be Strong
In the spring of her sophomore year, Amy decided to broaden her horizons and go out for tennis. She felt that the training would keep her in shape for cross country and that the competition would be good for her. After several weeks of practice, Amy began experiencing pain in her left leg, “I thought it was a problem with my arch but it did not respond to any of the treatments we tried.” Eventually, the problem became so severe that she was having trouble running.
She and her mother went back to the doctor who took a series of x-rays. Amy remembers, “He didn’t say anything to me right away but he showed my mom. There was a big tumor by my knee.” Amy’s mother, Terri Hanson continues, “He told us we had to get to the hospital right away and before we knew it we were seeing a bone specialist in Iowa City, Iowa.”
The first step was to perform a biopsy of the tumor. The family’s worst fear was confirmed – Amy had cancer. She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, the most common form of bone cancer usually affecting teens experiencing a growth spurt. Boys are more likely to have osteosarcoma than girls, and most cases of osteosarcoma involve the knee.
“We saw LOTS of doctors,” Amy says. The first stage of her treatment would be six rounds of chemotherapy. In only a day’s time, Amy was diagnosed, admitted to the pediatric oncology unit, underwent surgery to insert a port catheter and received her first chemo treatment.
She spent the next six weeks in the hospital. Amy smiles and says, “I loved the kids in the pediatric ward – we had so much fun. I also loved the nurses.” Her mother adds, “The first chemo was very hard and she was so sick. It was a difficult time, but being surrounded with loving caring people helped us through it.”
Amy began losing her beautiful long blond hair. With a twinkle in her eyes, she says, “Before it all fell out, I gave myself a Mohawk. It was so cool!”
Be Tough
Amy and her family knew that she was now running a different kind of race. Close to the end of her first round of chemo, they began talking to doctors and surgeons about the next step. Terri says, “The goal of the chemo is to have more than 90 percent of the tumor cured. Amy was at 75 percent.”
Amy explains, “I had two choices. I could have the tumor removed, undergo reconstructive surgery and keep my leg. But this meant that I could never run again or participate in any sports. They also told me that there are often continuing complications with this procedure. Or I could have the leg amputated above the knee, be fitted with a prosthetic leg and be able to do anything I wanted to do.”
Matter-of-factly she continued, “I don’t want to be sitting around for the rest of my life. I wanted it to be amputated.”
Amy’s surgery was scheduled for July 6, 2007. Amy and her mother both grow somber as they relive that day. Terri says, “The anesthesia they gave Amy was not enough to take care of the post operative pain. The surgery had gone well but she was in excruciating pain. She was given the maximum amount of morphine possible so there was no choice but to administer a spinal block.”
Fortunately the block enabled the nurses to manage Amy’s pain. She was up and walking on a prosthetic leg within a day. After only four days in the hospital, Amy was discharged and sent home to heal before beginning her next series of treatments.
Terri and Amy decided to have her next chemo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “We wanted to be closer to home,” Terri says. Amy experienced a bit of a rough start, “The first day my port (catheter) broke and I ended up in surgery. I didn’t know anyone. I missed my friends.” She continues, “But now I love my nurses and everyone who takes care of us.”
Amy’s treatment protocol requires them to leave for Sioux Falls on Thursday and return home Sunday night. She is hospitalized for the treatments so she can be closely monitored. Terri says, “They told us that she probably would need blood transfusions or could have other complications. But so far, she has not had any problems.”
Amy says enthusiastically, “I’m doing great. At first I was so sick, I couldn’t eat or even take care of myself. Mom had to do everything for me. I dropped from 130 pound to barely 100 pounds. But I’m getting used to my leg and get around really well. I have a tutor and am keeping up with my classes.”
See the Beauty
Her low white blood counts and fragile immunity require that Amy be careful about going out. But when Amy’s class chose her as junior class attendant for homecoming, Amy put on an elegant red dress and went out for a wonderful evening with her friends.
The event provided Amy with a different kind of therapy – one that made her feel like a teenager again instead of a cancer patient.
Amy misses her friends and especially her cross country teammates saying, “There is a bond between people you run with. And our coach is the best – we could never do anything without him.” But they have not forgotten her as the team designed special “Team Amy” t-shirts and wear them in her honor. Whenever possible she attends their meets and was on hand this fall to watch them win a trip to the state cross country competition.
In early December, Amy will finish her chemotherapy. She recently began physical therapy at the Estherville hospital and is working at regaining her strength. Her favorite therapy is swimming, “I love the water and it is so good for me.” A local motel provides her with the use of their pool. She plans to return to school after Christmas.
You Are Not Alone
Recently, Amy was contacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization whose mission states “We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.” She and her mom have been exploring her options and she must make a decision before she turns eighteen. Amy would like to have a car of her own, “Nothing fancy,” she states, “just a decent used car.” She had to quit her job when she became sick so has been unable to save up to buy her own car.
Her other idea is to use the wish to help with her future college expenses. “I want the wish to be something that will benefit me in the future. A trip or a shopping spree only lasts for a short time. I’d rather do something that will enable me to help others.”
The town of Estherville rallied around Amy and her family. Amy’s face lights up as she says, “The town has really been awesome about helping us out. I got so many cards and calls.” There have been several benefits for Amy and her family. Terri works at the middle school in Estherville, “They have been great about giving me time off.” However her time off is without pay and the community is doing everything they can to lessen the financial strain.
You Can Make It
For the next months and years, Amy will be checked regularly for any indication that the cancer has returned. She remains optimistic about her future, “There’s no reason not to be positive.” There have been difficult times for her but she remains very private about her low moments saying quietly, “Only my mom sees them.”
“I tell my friends not to feel sorry for me. Everything happens for a reason. This is just an opportunity in my life to experience new things. It gives me a chance to spread my faith. Without God and my mom I could never have made it through this.”
Amy’s experience with cancer has taken her on an unexpected journey. Instead of crossing one finish line, she has had to run many races encountering both obstacles and opportunities along the way. Her courage is amazing, her hope is unwavering, her smile is contagious and her story is inspiring.
Amy’s eyes are fixed firmly on her next goal, “I can’t wait to start running.”
For Amy to be able to run, she will need a prosthetic with specialized knee, ankle and foot mechanisms costing approximately $50,000. A fund for Amy has been established at the Employees Credit Union, 2714 Central Ave, Estherville, IA 51334. Portions of the prosthetic are covered by insurance but some of the specialized features may not be covered.
Captions adapted from running.about.com
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