The Warrior: Unexpected Diagnosis

Unsinkable Storytelling Author: Ryan Gardner

Everything started when I was sixteen: I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma; a type of blood cancer that attacks your lymphatic system. The tumours living inside of me resided in my collarbone and chest - one the size of a large grape, the other the size of an orange. I went through 3 rounds of chemo at Sickkids hospital and 14 days worth of radiation. We thought we had won the battle. Little did we know it had only just begun. 

Since then, I have gone through 4 more fights with cancer at Juravinski Hospital. Each time was different: 

The first and second fights included an organic, cold-pressed juicing therapy, and chemo; ultimately leading to a stem cell transplant. 

The third battle included -you guessed it- chemotherapy. This lead to psychosis, a coma, addiction and epilepsy. It was the messiest of all. I learned a lot about myself and overcame a lot of obstacles. It was pretty intense. 

This final battle has led to a brain biopsy, a trip to the ICU, chemo and now, immunotherapy. 

Each diagnosis presented itself with different dilemmas but, I came out strong all the same. 

I leave you with this: 

Stay strong, 

Be confident in yourself. 

I believe in you.

Unexpected Diagnosis

hello, not so nice to see ya 

are you afraid? 

such a fragile, confused creature 

no one to blame 

you lost your brain  

along the way 

just another cold  

and boring day 

searching for the cure 

forget who you were 

it's time to beat this 

young warrior

Feeling inspired? You can purchase Ryan's book here.