Cancer story:
Hi! My name’s Jess and I’m a cancer cell. I’ve been living with my host, Alexa, for three years now. I’ve really gotten used to it here. I know the schedule of her body, I know how her body works, and most importantly, I know how to fight her body.
I’m a cervical cancer cell, I take over the ectocervix and endocervix cells in a woman’s cervix. The reason I am here is because Alexa human papillomavirus (HPV) from having sexual intercourse with her old boyfriend who had it. HPV E6 and E7 are the mutagens that lead to HPV, and then cervical cancer for some people. They copy the hosts instructions for cell division (which are meant for the hosts own cells), and make people sick. She was one of the unlucky ones, as HPV does not always lead to cervical cancer (me), it can lead to genital warts or maybe it can just go away.
A week later, her boyfriend (rudely) broke up with my host and left her feeling terrible. And that’s when I started appearing. First her lower stomach and pelvis started hurting, then she got blood coming out of her vagina (when she wasn’t anywhere near her period), and the last thing she noticed is that she had vaginal discharge that was different than normal. So, she went to her doctor, who told her to have a Pap test, and voilà, they discovered me.
She’s always trying to throw things at me to kill me, but they never work. When I first appeared, it was her immune system. Her immune system cells kept fighting my cancer cells to destroy me. Fortunately for me though, I won that fight. Recently, she had a surgery the doctors like to call “Conization.” They removed a piece of tissue from Alexa’s cervix, which had me in it. But, during her Pap test, they examined her cervix and discovered that I was not all gone, I had survived the surgery! Sadly, though, she started something called chemotherapy a week ago. It has made me, and even Alexa very sick. The chemotherapy attacks me in a viscous, violent way, and really weakens me. Although, it makes all of Alexa’s cells sick, so at least I’m not losing this alone.
At first, she felt okay other than her symptoms. She was in stage 0 (also know as Carcinoma in Situ). But as time went by and I kept winning my hosts attempts to get rid of me, she felt worse and worse. By stage II she was constantly tired, could not walk properly and was weak. Now she’s at stage III, she’s in the hospital, almost always in bed, she’s depressed, she cries quite often, wondering how this fight will end. Luckily, she has lots of family that support her and lover her, so that helps her out a lot. Ever since she started chemotherapy she has not been herself. When I first came, she was a bright, joyful, and happy twenty-two-year-old woman. Now she’s stressed, depressed, and it’s like she’s a whole new person, and not in a good way.
A little while later, I started to feel weaker than usual, and a week after that, I was gone. She had destroyed me. I got to give it to her though, she was a strong fighter, and I think she deserves this one. Soon she will recover and come back to her normal self, and I will be nothing. Maybe I’ll see her again one day, and maybe I won’t.
The making of the cancer story
What questions did you need to research in order to create your cancer story?
The questions I researched in order to put my cancer story together were: What causes this type of cancer? Where in the body is it found? What type of cell is affected and where in the body is this cell found? What mutagens/carcinogens can lead to this type of cancer and how? What happens as the cancer progresses? What symptoms arise? How is this type of cancer treated? What are the statistics related to this type of cancer?
What new or familiar digital tools did you try to use as you worked through this project?
I really discovered a lot of cool ne ways to do research, I used Google. I had also used a website called EasyBib to site my sources. I used some websites from Mr. Robinsons page such as Creative commons and Google scholar.
What was the process you used to investigate the topic?
First, I did all the research that was needed. I used the questions above for the research, and enough information to make my story. Then, I organized the layout of what my story would look like. Then, wrote each paragraph separately. I put all the paragraphs together and that was my process for the creation of my cancer story.
How did you verify and cite the information you found?
I used a website called EasyBib, which is very good for citing sources. I verified that my information was credible by using multiple websites rather than just one.
How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?
I really liked writing this cancer story, it was a lot of fun to learn about this cancer, and to write a story about it. I think the process went smoothly and nicely. I think everything I did was good, and I don’t think I could do any better. I believe this is one hundred percent of my best work.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer-topic-overview#1
“Cervical Cancer – Topic Overview.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.
http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/cervical/cervical-cancer/?region=on
“What Is Cervical Cancer? – Canadian Cancer Society.” Www.cancer.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.
“Cervical Cancer.” Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2017.