After being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia in August of 2017, Zoe Jones began to worry she might not be able to start her freshman year at Oklahoma Christian University as planned. However, living in Edmond is the only reason, she believes, she was able to attend college in addition to having cancer and going through chemotherapy. And, in February, Jones was officially declared cancer free.
“I found great friends who do not treat me like I am a sick person,” Jones said. “People at Oklahoma Christian are great. They are really caring and everyone is understanding. That is what I love about Oklahoma Christian. It is like a family.”
Jones said she began to feel sick after returning from a trip in Honduras last summer, and believed she must have contracted an illness from her time there. However, her sickness began to interfere with her everyday life and at her job working for an inner-city church. She said she felt exhausted, which disabled her from working with as much as enthusiasm as usual.
After going to the doctor assuming she had a stomach bug, the doctors confirmed her suspicions. As she worked at the church—specifically working with children—she kept getting sicker due to widespread germs. She believed her sickness was something more than just an infection, after she began experiencing both an ear and sinus infection. A week went by before she went to the doctor again.
After returning to her family doctor a week later, blood tests discovered a low level of platelets and blood in Jones’ system. The night of the doctor’s visit, she began to run a high fever, and was driven to the hospital where they kept her for several hours. Most tests revealed she had contracted acute promyelocytic leukemia, a type of cancer. They sent her to OU medical hospital for a second diagnosis. There, they affirmed her fears.
Jones said she could not believe she had leukemia. She already had a thyroid problem and anxiety, was polycystic and had been depressed in the past. She said she could not believe God would do this to her on top of all the other health issues she was facing. But, Jones said she was still firm in her faith.
“God has a reason for this,” Jones said.
After the doctors diagnosed her with leukemia, Jones was in the hospital for a month. For two weeks, she was given blood and platelets, as well as arsenic for chemotherapy and a Vitamin A derivative to aid with chemotherapy. She went through chemotherapy throughout her first semester as a freshman at Oklahoma Christian. Due to all the germs on campus, especially in the dorms, she was not able to live on campus for her first semester.
“Going to meet new people was hard because I would have to tell them I have cancer, which is not fun when you are going to college and meeting all your new friends,” Jones said. “I just wanted to be normal. I was going through this, but I wanted to be treated like a human being. I do not want to be asked, ‘Are you okay?’ I just want you to have a conversation with me.”
Jones said she pressed on through the semester, and as of February of this year, she is now free of cancer. According to Jones, she believes God worked through cancer to show her how many people loved her. During her chemotherapy, people from church came to visit her, which she said was evident of the power of love.
A year ago, before she had cancer, Jones said she was not happy in life. However, she now attributes battling cancer to improving her life.
“It sounds crazy that cancer made me happier, but it really has,” Jones said. “I trust God so much more. He cured me in a year. That is crazy. Most people are not cured that fast.”
According to Jones, she has learned a lot through her journey, specifically becoming more understanding toward others. As a family science major and planning to become either a child life specialist or an art therapist, she said she believes having cancer can apply to both of these fields, and she can someday help others who are struggling through cancer.
0
0
Be First to Comment