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10/17/2018 20 Comments

October 17th, 2018

Cancer and College

The best way to describe life at the moment: a beautiful mess.

In the midst of the mess, beauty endures. In moments when negativity and brokenness seem to creep in, beauty shines through.

On August 12th I learned that the cancer had returned. Located in my upper left clavicle, my friend decided to hang around for a little longer and accompany me on my new adventure called college. After moving into Baylor University (Sic’em Bears) on August 16th, I traveled back to Houston and Texas Children’s to get a new biopsy of the swollen lymph node that I had discovered a few days earlier. The pathology report returned, and we learned that the lit up spot on the new Pet scan was officially Hodgkin’s Lymphoma once again. I began the process of questioning if I would even get to attend school at Baylor and the general “why and what” questions that often circle through the mind of someone with cancer. Why again? Why was I going to have to balance cancer and college? What was having cancer and going to college going to look like? Is this process ever going to end?

I learned about a day later that I would be starting a new chemotherapy treatment process. My treatments this time are both similar and different than last time. I will be completing four rounds of chemotherapy and hopefully a week of radiation during December. Each of my “rounds” lasts 3 weeks and I get chemo on two fridays in a row of each 3 week period (taking a break on the third friday of the round). I have now completed two of those rounds of chemotherapy and I have two rounds until I’m done. This specific chemotherapy process involves less drugs and less days of treatment than the first time around. Side effects that I’ve experienced are heavy nausea for about 24 hours during and after treatment, low blood counts which cause me to feel pretty crappy overall, and bone pain from a shot called Neulasta that makes my blood counts rejuvenate after treatment each round. My new hair has remained on my head and I am getting used to the “pixie cut” look. Being bald was fun, but I’m enjoying having my hair back and experimenting with new hair styles.

Tomorrow morning I will travel to Texas Children’s for my “halfway through treatment” scans. We are praying that these scans will be clear, and we can say goodbye to cancer for good. My next two rounds of chemo will be “follow up” rounds to complete the process and get rid of this evil disease.

All of this is messy. Life is messy. But, the Lord has never failed me for a single day of my life and he isn’t going to start now. The Lord has placed a new, beautiful adventure in my life that makes all this cancer stuff seem doable.

A seed was planted the first day I stepped foot onto Baylor University’s campus as a college freshman. Cancer seems like nothing when I stop and take a moment on a daily basis to thank God that I am even standing on Baylor soil. Every day that I get walk in the shadow of Pat Neff is a day that brings praise to my God. Every day that I get to attend class is a day that brings praise to my God. Every day that I wake up to the sun or rain outside my dorm window is a day that brings praise to my God. When I first started school this semester the common questions regarding home sickness began to surface from individuals who asked me how school was going. There are moments when I miss home, miss my family, and miss the comfort of understanding that accompanies life before college. But I wouldn’t trade the support and love I have experienced from being a Baylor student for anything. Baylor has been a light through this new diagnosis and I cannot put into words how thankful I am to be a part of the baylor family. Thank you to the individuals who have made this new place a home. You have brought loads of joy and love into confusing and troubling times. I am endlessly grateful for you and for baylor. This plANTED SEED IS BLOOMING IN WAYS SHE NEVER THOUGHT WERE POSSIBLE.

I am currently majoring in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. The Lord has brought me to discover a new passion of mine over the last eight months, and I am happy to say that I will be pursuing a career in Public Relation for Children’s Hospitals.

Thank you God for Baylor and Cancer.

Beautiful messes come in the most unexpected ways.

20 Comments
Sharon Foster
10/17/2018 11:08:00 pm

Rylie,
Thank you for continuing to share your story with all of us! I am so glad you are loving Baylor! I loved it there myself many years ago. You are doing such a great job of just moving your life forward despite all the challenges that have been thrown in your path. My family and I are praying for you! Please let us know if you have specific prayer requests. We will pray for the nausea and the bone pain. I am so sorry you are going through all this, but I can’t wait to see all that God will do with your life! Love you, sweet girl! 🐻💛🐻

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Marsha
10/18/2018 04:12:23 am

💚💛beautiful....sic'em!

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Billie
10/18/2018 04:56:39 am

Thank you Rylie for posting! You can do this! Sic’Cancer

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Jack Lancaster
10/18/2018 06:00:26 am

We pray for you everyday. Please let us know the results as soon as you find out. We love you and look forward to seeing you soon. Gig-Em!

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Kim Patierno
10/18/2018 06:28:07 am

Running this race with you in prayer and faith😍😘🙏, Love Kim and Steve

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Audrey Arechiga-Kajs
10/18/2018 07:27:41 am

Great post! You keep plugging away and we will keep praying.

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Sarah Moran
10/18/2018 08:06:36 am

Rylie,
Praying for your scan this morning and asking God to heal you completely and permanently. You are being very brave and looking for God’s hand in your circumstances, and I can’t say enough how encouraging that is. I am, as always, impressed...both by how God is showing up in your story and by the way you are CHOOSING to respond to it. You bless me. Rooting for you! I’m sorry you are experiencing such crummy side effects. Glad Baylor has been a warm, welcoming, and fun distraction. Love to you! Can’t wait to see where all of this takes you. I love your new career goals. The best. Hugs!

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Patsy Dollar
10/18/2018 08:50:03 am

But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. Joshua 23:8
Your words are such a testimony to your faith and love for God. Our prayers for healing continue as well as for strength for each day. 🙏🏻🌺🌸

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Stacie Wollam
10/18/2018 11:59:03 am

Yes! I am so happy you have found a passion at Baylor and that it is so deeply connected to your heart. We will continue to pray for you! 💚

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Allison Notgrass
10/18/2018 12:15:54 pm

Thank you for the update and sharing your heart. You and your family continue to be in our prayers daily!

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Joanna Karely
10/18/2018 12:41:31 pm

Dear rylie it is a huge honor to be writing to you. My name is Joanna Karely a college student as well, (from UTRGV) I just want to let you know that you have been in my prayers, I have been following up with your journey through instagram and this amazing page. My friends from Mexico as well have you in our prayers. I can not state enough how crazy it is to see somebody as strong as you, both mentally and emotionally. I would love to hear more about you and write to you. My phone is (956)467-8336. I hope to hear from you soon! Much love your friend Joanna K

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Grace
10/18/2018 01:55:53 pm

Beautiful. Encouraging. Courageous. I love you.

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Donna Ainsworth
10/18/2018 02:38:09 pm

Keep on keeping on!! He will never leave you nor forsake you! Praying for good test results!! Every day is a gift!

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Carol Anagnos
10/18/2018 02:46:24 pm

You have a true gift in your literature talent. God bless you always. We will keep you in our prayers. ❤️

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Georgia Pratt Cunningham
10/18/2018 03:56:26 pm

I'm a life long Eliasville friend of Connie and Gary York. I have kept up with you through them. You may be tired of hearing that you are remarkable, but God put upon your heart to be just that...so believe it. I have started a new prayer list with your name on it. May HE take very good care of you.

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P.D. Shabay
10/18/2018 09:21:05 pm

Rylie....what an incredible and inspirational young lady you are. Just know that you are in my prayers everyday. Thank God for your courage and strength. P.D. Shabay

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The Elder Family (Kristin, Michael, Clayton and Hayden)
10/22/2018 07:48:55 pm

Checking in as we often do and so happy and proud of you in your college journey at Baylor! We are behind you and praying from New Mexico :). You are an inspiration. Our prayers are with you as you continue your journey fighting cancer, in the challenges of college, and in experiencing the wonders of life. We send much love, prayers, and support.

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Caroline
11/5/2018 04:39:05 pm

Hi Rylie! You have been such an inspiration to me. I’m praying for you and I’m actually heading up to Baylor on a college trip soon!

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Mary Kay
4/26/2019 07:02:26 am

Dear Rye,

Your sharing at Baylor was in God’s perfect timing! My daughter, Katie who is less then two weeks away from finishing up her first year at Baylor is a THREE time cancer survivor! At the age of nine we also agreed to use this battle for His glory! The cancer returned when she was 13 and 16 and then misdiagnosed at 17, causing more issues when they removed her thyroid by mistake! With that said, in faith, she had her port removed late last summer and decided to trust God and left home in California to study at Baylor!! Her scans are in June and the results are heavy on her heart! I hope she can someday meet you and share stories and pray! Thank you for being a light in those dark times! Praying for you this morning.

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Katy Reynolds
5/16/2019 08:38:50 am

Way to go, Rylie👏👏👏 Praying comfort & complete healing over your sweet, beautiful body inside & out♥️♥️♥️
You r a true inspiration to EVERYONE reading your story..thank u. You will b an AWESOME advocate/PR person for Children’s Hospitals🙏🙏🙏

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