I thought today I would just update the blog with something that Allison wrote. This was sent to Mr. Kreider at Fairfield. He was a teacher of her's last year and is in charge of the school newspaper. Parts, or all, of this might be appearing in the upcoming school newspaper. Thanks to Mr. Kreider for your constant contact and encouragement with Allison. Also thanks to all the Fairfield staff for your efforts........ Trent
Hello from Bloomington, Indiana-- Home of the Bloomington South Panthers and MPRI – Midwest Proton Radiation Institute. I have been spending a chunk of my time at both of these places. If some of you don’t know, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. It was determined over the past several months that it was growing and could very possibly soon begin to cause more serious problems than just a bad headache. It was determined that proton radiation would be the best option for my particular situation. So here I am. I began my adventure here on November 16th and will be receiving treatments until the first week in January. Not only must I experience the uncertainty of the radiation, but the uneasiness of attending another school—one that is almost three times the size of our high school. To determine which classes were closest to Fairfield’s, I attended almost a full day of school on Nov 18th –which I thought was indeed the longest day of my life!!! I almost hid in the bathroom at lunch because I had no one to sit with, got lost on one of the three floors (still don’t know where I was), and used my old locker combination on my new locker. I thought about leaving a trail for myself to follow like Hansel and Gretel or stick post-it notes on which flight of stairs I was to use, but didn’t see much point because the mass of students would get in the way. I definitely questioned whether it would ever seem easier. I was exhausted when my mother picked me up and we still had a doctor appointment and my first treatment! No time for the weary! My first treatment was a bit nerve wracking, I won’t lie. I prayed that God would protect my healthy brain tissue and that the technicians and doctors would be guided by His hand.
As most things go in life, I am adjusting to both school and the treatments. I am making friends and can navigate myself on all three floors of Bloomington South. The treatments are becoming routine and once the mask is tightly fitted and I am strapped to the table, I find myself relaxed enough to sleep. As far as side effects, I am currently experiencing greater headaches and my hair is thinning. I do not expect to lose all my hair, but believe me my eyes have seen much worse than a bald head, so I will not waste anxiety on that issue.
I am working almost constantly on homework. It is very hard to teach yourself and understand concepts without the help of our wonderful teachers at Fairfield. The teachers at Bloomington South are wonderful as well, but we are not working on the same lessons so it creates some difficulty. Overall the teachers at Fairfield and Bloomington South have helped me immensely and I couldn’t begin to complete this semester without their help.
One interesting difference between the schools is the cell phone policy. I was so thankful that they allow cell phone use during lunch and passing periods. I know it sounds silly, but on the first day I called my mother because I needed a boost of confidence. I found the policy very interesting because many students used phones during passing periods and lunch, but used respect and did not use during class. I thought this was very interesting. I feel that because the students were given the freedom and they learned responsible use of cell phones early in school, there wasn’t an issue. Something to think about…J
I have learned so much the past few weeks. There are too many lessons to list, but here are a few. Do not take life for granted or pass up a time to say “sorry” or “I love you”. I have seen the frailty of life first hand. I have learned that people are the same wherever you go. Sure your surroundings mold certain behaviors, but in the depths of people, we are very similar. I also believe that we each posses a great strength within us to do things we never thought we could do. So—Don’t sell yourself short—It is in all of us. Another thing that I have learned, (well, not really “learned” but reminded) is God’s love for me. He loves EVERYONE so much, and I hope that EVERYONE someday will accept and embrace His love…it is SO GREAT! He HASN’T left me during this time. Still in the back of my mind, I sometimes wonder again and again, why God? Why do I have to carry this burden? Well, I have learned that I don’t have to carry this burden alone; I just have to give it over to God. I KNOW God keeps His promises, because He already has in countless ways in my life. I am praising God in this storm, I know He will carry me through…He already is.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storms to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
I would like to thank the Fairfield Student Body!!! I cannot tell you how amazed I am everyday at the love I feel from all of you. I have appreciated the little gifts, cards, text messages, phone calls, and most importantly your prayers. My inner strength has been fueled by your love and support. Words cannot express my appreciation. “Thank you” is hardly strong enough to show you the importance of your generosity, but it will have to do for now.
Please continue to pray for me over the break and I hope to be back in school soon after school begins in January. Philippians 4:6-8. Merry Christmas!!! -Allison Hostetler
Hello from Bloomington, Indiana-- Home of the Bloomington South Panthers and MPRI – Midwest Proton Radiation Institute. I have been spending a chunk of my time at both of these places. If some of you don’t know, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. It was determined over the past several months that it was growing and could very possibly soon begin to cause more serious problems than just a bad headache. It was determined that proton radiation would be the best option for my particular situation. So here I am. I began my adventure here on November 16th and will be receiving treatments until the first week in January. Not only must I experience the uncertainty of the radiation, but the uneasiness of attending another school—one that is almost three times the size of our high school. To determine which classes were closest to Fairfield’s, I attended almost a full day of school on Nov 18th –which I thought was indeed the longest day of my life!!! I almost hid in the bathroom at lunch because I had no one to sit with, got lost on one of the three floors (still don’t know where I was), and used my old locker combination on my new locker. I thought about leaving a trail for myself to follow like Hansel and Gretel or stick post-it notes on which flight of stairs I was to use, but didn’t see much point because the mass of students would get in the way. I definitely questioned whether it would ever seem easier. I was exhausted when my mother picked me up and we still had a doctor appointment and my first treatment! No time for the weary! My first treatment was a bit nerve wracking, I won’t lie. I prayed that God would protect my healthy brain tissue and that the technicians and doctors would be guided by His hand.
As most things go in life, I am adjusting to both school and the treatments. I am making friends and can navigate myself on all three floors of Bloomington South. The treatments are becoming routine and once the mask is tightly fitted and I am strapped to the table, I find myself relaxed enough to sleep. As far as side effects, I am currently experiencing greater headaches and my hair is thinning. I do not expect to lose all my hair, but believe me my eyes have seen much worse than a bald head, so I will not waste anxiety on that issue.
I am working almost constantly on homework. It is very hard to teach yourself and understand concepts without the help of our wonderful teachers at Fairfield. The teachers at Bloomington South are wonderful as well, but we are not working on the same lessons so it creates some difficulty. Overall the teachers at Fairfield and Bloomington South have helped me immensely and I couldn’t begin to complete this semester without their help.
One interesting difference between the schools is the cell phone policy. I was so thankful that they allow cell phone use during lunch and passing periods. I know it sounds silly, but on the first day I called my mother because I needed a boost of confidence. I found the policy very interesting because many students used phones during passing periods and lunch, but used respect and did not use during class. I thought this was very interesting. I feel that because the students were given the freedom and they learned responsible use of cell phones early in school, there wasn’t an issue. Something to think about…J
I have learned so much the past few weeks. There are too many lessons to list, but here are a few. Do not take life for granted or pass up a time to say “sorry” or “I love you”. I have seen the frailty of life first hand. I have learned that people are the same wherever you go. Sure your surroundings mold certain behaviors, but in the depths of people, we are very similar. I also believe that we each posses a great strength within us to do things we never thought we could do. So—Don’t sell yourself short—It is in all of us. Another thing that I have learned, (well, not really “learned” but reminded) is God’s love for me. He loves EVERYONE so much, and I hope that EVERYONE someday will accept and embrace His love…it is SO GREAT! He HASN’T left me during this time. Still in the back of my mind, I sometimes wonder again and again, why God? Why do I have to carry this burden? Well, I have learned that I don’t have to carry this burden alone; I just have to give it over to God. I KNOW God keeps His promises, because He already has in countless ways in my life. I am praising God in this storm, I know He will carry me through…He already is.
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storms to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
I would like to thank the Fairfield Student Body!!! I cannot tell you how amazed I am everyday at the love I feel from all of you. I have appreciated the little gifts, cards, text messages, phone calls, and most importantly your prayers. My inner strength has been fueled by your love and support. Words cannot express my appreciation. “Thank you” is hardly strong enough to show you the importance of your generosity, but it will have to do for now.
Please continue to pray for me over the break and I hope to be back in school soon after school begins in January. Philippians 4:6-8. Merry Christmas!!! -Allison Hostetler
What an amazing testimony of faith and perseverence! How blessed I am to be a part of your family. I love you guys very much, and although we don't see each other as often as I'd like, you are always in my thoughts and prayers and forever in my heart! May God bless you all in ways unimagined this Christmas season and beyond!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great letter, Allison! Informative, heartfelt, and well-written. Thanks for your testimony & update! (I'm just a bit behind on the blog but catching up!)
ReplyDelete