Kim Johnson was a caregiver for her sister whereas she battled stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma for almost 5 years, from prognosis by an autologous transplant. Compensate for all of Kim’s blogs right here!
There are particular roles in life that we come to imagine that turn into part of who we’re. They’re now not one thing we do however part of our id. For me, that was no more true than for the function of caregiver. I grew to become a caregiver for my sister when she was identified at 27, and I used to be 23. It was a title bestowed upon me and sometimes called my identifier by many. Within the almost eleven years which have handed since her prognosis, I’ve come to hold a number of different titles associated to most cancers past that of caregiver: author, creator, case supervisor, affected person care coordinator, nursing pupil, and advocate, to call a number of.
About six months into my sister’s most cancers journey, I spotted that I used to be meant to be a nurse. I used to be late to that realization, as many on her care group had come to that conclusion earlier than I did. Though I felt a powerful name to nursing, I selected to postpone starting my research till after my sister achieved remission. I didn’t know then how arduous a course of it might be for her to realize remission, however I served as her caregiver, and doing so, together with college, was not attainable. I continued to delay starting college, and I started my collegiate research roughly a 12 months after her remission.
I transitioned from a caregiver to a pupil, searching for to turn into the nurse who would offer care to others as her phenomenal nurses had selflessly given her. I continued sharing my story with CURE, was closely engaged with the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and advocated typically. Though I had labored in oncology in a number of methods and earned certificates and levels, in 2021, the day earlier than my commencement, my sister was re-diagnosed with most cancers. Coupled with one other deeply private loss, I elected to go away the sphere of nursing. Whereas I had an amazing private battle with this resolution, I pivoted full-time to advocacy work by way of a political profession.
All of the whereas, I retained quite a few titles I had held all through most cancers. On Could sixteenth, 2025, I’m proud to share that I will likely be graduating with my bachelor’s in political science and dropping one of many steady titles I’ve carried: pupil. It’s troublesome to fathom, as at the present time as soon as felt unattainable. As glad as I’m to be finishing college, there have been many feelings surrounding it. Particularly, I just lately realized that I’m not graduating with a level in Nursing. Whereas I don’t have any regrets about pivoting my profession path, it’s bittersweet. Previous to my sister’s prognosis, I used to be undecided what profession meant for me. Though I’ve dabbled in different passions, I’ve at all times continued to work and keep engaged throughout the area of oncology. Furthermore, though I’ll proceed to write down and share my story, my profession path will now formally be centered outdoors of the sphere of oncology.
Most cancers has influenced, impacted, and formed me into the girl I’m right this moment. I’m a extra empathetic, educated, variety, compassionate, and total higher individual for the trail that not solely most cancers pressured me to stroll however for the components of this journey that I’ve elected to stroll. Furthermore, though I cannot be a working towards nurse, the teachings I’ve discovered have and can proceed to serve me as an advocate in my new profession. Simply as most cancers and its presence in our lives is unpredictable, so is life and leaning into that moderately than preventing it has introduced me to the place I’m right this moment. As I put together to graduate, I’ve discovered peace in figuring out that it’s okay that the roles that I believed I might assume and the titles I anticipated carrying weren’t finally meant for me, and that’s okay.
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