Osteosarcoma Grad- Jeff
“ If you have an opportunity to tell your story to the public, take advantage of it. You never know what kind of connections you might be able to build from it.”
Name: Jeff Bryant
Age at Diagnosis: 18
Type/Stage of Cancer: Swollen left thigh. Bigger thigh was weaker. Decrease in athleticism.
What were the primary symptoms you experienced prior to diagnosis?
Weakness in larger left thigh.
Courses Completed:
Chemotherapy and six surgeries. One to remove left femur and knee (tumor removal), two lung surgeries to remove cancerous nodules, three after cancer treatment to replace loosening of prosthesis.
How did you respond when you heard the words “You have cancer”?
To be honest, I did not know how to respond. I had no idea what to expect with treatment for this condition. All I knew was that there was a problem, and it needed to be fixed.
What has been your hardest moment(s) since your diagnosis? How have you moved forward through them?
On September 10, 2014, I went in for a thirteen-hour surgery to remove the tumor. My femur and knee were replaced with a titanium rod and an artificial knee. I was hospitalized for ten days, when I had to work through severe pain to get up from bed and begin working again. The tumor was finally out of me, but there was still much to done about the cancer cells that were spreading beyond my femur. In fact, my doctors had also spotted a few cancerous nodules that spread to my lungs, and soon surgery was needed to remove those as well. I underwent two lung surgeries on November 6, 2014, and January 15, 2015. The few tiny areas of cancer that metastasized there had already been killed by the chemo, but it was still good to have them also removed.
What has been your biggest accomplishment since your diagnosis?
Getting through college despite having to miss almost three whole semesters due to post-cancer surgeries, and struggling academically early on.
What do you believe are the unmet needs of young adult patients within the cancer community?
I believe that there needs to be more young adult cancer peer groups. Young former cancer patients like myself struggle to make new friends due to long lasting side effects and disabilities that result from our cancer. These side effects and disabilities cause us to no longer be able to do a lot of things most other young adults like to do. I feel that if we form more cancer peer groups, than young adults who have a harder time getting around can bond with others in similar shoes.
What advice would you give to someone who is newly diagnosed? What advice would you tell them to ignore? What advice would you give to the caregivers?
Take every step of treatment one day at a time. Everyday wake up with a goal in mind, and work to achieve that goal. For example, when recovering from surgery, tell yourself one day that you will walk out to the chair. Then, another day, get yourself to walk out of the room. Then, the next day, walk further out into the hallway. Focus on a particular goal daily, and your prognosis will be much better. Another piece of advice I would give is do not be afraid to throw your story out there. If you have an opportunity to tell your story to the public, take advantage of it. You never know what kind of connections you might be able to build from it. Ignore what cancer cook books tell you. They literally do not want you eating anything but bland vegetables, and that is not good for you either. Just eat a healthy balanced diet, make a big limit to your sugar intake, and eat organic. An advice I would make to caregivers is do not force food or water down the patients throat if they are nauseous. Have them take little bites and drink little sips periodically. This way they will still get some form of nutrients and hydration they need without getting sick.
How did your family and friends respond?
My family and friends were amazing through it all. They stood by my side every step of the way, took amazing care of me, and made sure I was as happy as possible during such hard times. Read more about family and community response in my article.
When you feel overwhelmed or anxious, what do you do for relief?
Take a moment to close your eyes and rest a little bit, while also taking deep breaths. Than get up and, like I said earlier, handle everything one step at a time, one day at a time.
Describe a situation where you “got back up”:
My victory over cancer though did come with a price. I could no longer play basketball with my new leg condition as the rod that was placed in me could tolerate such impact. Fortunately, there was another passion I always had since I was a young boy. I have also always wanted to work for a history museum, as I have tremendous passion for both history and museums. Therefore, I decided that this was what I was going to do next with my life. However, my days with basketball did not completely come to an end. In fact, during the entire winter season I was going through treatment, I assisted my high school basketball coach with my former team. Being an assistant coach with my high school team not only gave me something fun to do and kept me in touch with old teammates, but it also opened some opportunities for me. I had been recorded on local newspaper articles several times, and was even was filmed on NJ-12 news to share my story to the public.
What did you know about the type of cancer that you were diagnosed with prior to your diagnosis?
I knew nothing about my cancer prior to my diagnosis.
What do you now want people to be aware of?
Young people do get cancer, and they need all of the support they can have to make it through the rest of their lives.
Have you experienced any shifts in your outlook on life due to your diagnosis? If so, what are they?
I have become more thankful and appreciative of the things I already have in life, and the people I was blessed to have come across. I am also beyond grateful for all of the opportunities that have resulted from my experience with cancer. I do not take small acts of kindness for granted, because sometimes that’s all it takes to make someone’s day. I have become more aware of all of the issues going on in the world, such as cancer and other diseases. As rough as I may have had it, I am always reminded that there are many other people with insane stories out there, and you never know who you are going to meet who have these stories. Lastly, I feel that I have become a more universal person as a result of my treatment. Prior to my diagnosis, I was all about basketball, and that was the world I live in. Now, I have become much more about exploring all that is out there, and have been trying to expand upon my interests.
Have you created any meaning out of this experience?
As an inspiration of the challenges I faced the previous few years, I currently operate an Instagram blog with the username, @beatbonecancer. Its purpose is to give guidance to others who are also battling bone cancer, along with raising awareness for it. I hope that by doing so, I can build a community bone cancer fighters and supporters. I also want to give current patients something I did not have when I first started, which is someone to let them know what they can expect from treatment. I feel that by serving such guidance to those going through what I went through, they can feel more hopeful that they too can beat bone cancer.
What has your cancer experience taught you?
Be thankful for all of the things and people you have in your life. Take advantage of any opportunities that you feel might benefit you. Don’t be afraid to throw your experiences out there. Take everything one step at a time, one day at a time. Broaden your horizon.
If you could write anything you wanted on a billboard in NYC’s Times Square that would reach millions of cancer patients, what would it read?
“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have.”
