Juuso

I got the Hodgkin’s disease diagnosis when I was a 14-year-old, in January 2011.

The treatment was started immediately. It was planned to last for a half year during which time I had to stay at home, given the elevated risk of infections. Surprisingly, I was in really good condition during the treatments and I was even able to go to school during the late spring. 

However, in the next fall, it was discovered that I still had the disease and the treatments were re-started. These treatments were much stronger and I had to stay in the hospital for a long period of time. In the beginning of 2012 I went through a stem cell transplantation and after that the cancer was gone. That is how it is even today. I am now 18 years old, a young man going to high school.

In the beginning, the thing that felt most difficult and heavy for myself was that I got the disease at that particular age. My social life was cut down to my family and few friends. I had to leave my hobbies and sports completely during the treatments. I did not live the normal life of a teenager and that sometimes made me feel angry. I felt like I missed out something that the others were allowed to experience. In the present day, I think differently. My family’s support and my own experiences show that life goes on. I believe that everything has its purpose. 

-Juuso-