When Manor native Cheyenne (Geysen) Chartrand spoke to The Observer in 2015, she was undergoing treatment for Stage IIA Hodgkin's Lymphoma and documenting all aspects of her battle with cancer with unflinching honesty on her blog, 'Dancing With Dr. Hodge' http://dancingwithdrhodge.wordpress.com. Since then, the 27-year-old has been given the all-clear health-wise and her blog was named one of the Top 10 Cancer Blogs of 2016 by www.ihadcancer.com. She also has a new job and is also planning to ascend Mount Everest with her husband, Evan Chartrand during a charity climb which will raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.
Chartrand says she started her blog “Selfishly. My blog was for me. It was a way to get out my thoughts and feelings, because I'm not good at talking. But later, one of the things I wanted was for (the blog) to be available to someone else. And even after treatment- with survivorship- I want to let people with cancer know 'What you're going through is normal- especially if you're young.'”
“For me, it's a way to find people who aren't near you physically, but whom you can still help.”
Chartrand's blog was named one of I Had Cancer.com's Top 10 Blogs of 2016- and she was up against submissions from around the world. Her site was rated 'Best For: No B.S. Advice on Changing Your Perspective on Your Own Cancer Journey.'
The judges explained: “The I Had Cancer community is centred around our belief that sharing experiences leads to the inevitable sharing of strength...”
“There are thousands of cancer survivors, fighters and supporters all over the world who are actively sharing their stories and doing what they can do to raise awareness, inspiration and encouragement for their community.”
“We decided to host our first-ever blog awards to help get some awareness out there for just a few of these thousands of writers. We received hundreds of submissions. These blogs are picked for the community, by the community, to recognize the crème de la crème of cancer-related blogs of 2016.”
“Cheyenne writes to remind herself and her readers who are going through their own battles of what's important. She hopes her blog can be used as a tool for others like her to draw inspiration from, and gain a better idea of what to expect when facing cancer. She writes how her days have been different, what's stayed the same, and what 'normal' means to her now as a survivor.”
Chartrand-a former journalist who now works full-time as a communications specialist for Ranch Erhlo in Regina- says: “When I was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's, I said: 'I'm not going to let this define who I am.' But that frame of mind lasted about an hour after my first chemo treatment.”
“Before I began my own treatment, I scoured the internet in hopes of finding out more of what to expect. During my treatments, I drew inspiration from people who had successfully completed theirs.”
Chartrand was diagnosed with cancer on November 26, 2014, after months of feeling unwell. Her symptoms started in late July of that year, but by the time she received a definite diagnosis, the cancer had spread, resulting in her illness being categorized as Stage II.
She started intensive chemotherapy immediately and later underwent radiation. She was declared cancer-free in the summer of 2015, but not before suffering severe physical and emotional side effects from her gruelling drug regimen and dealing with some hard questions unique to young cancer patients- among them: future fertility, formidible financial challenges, wig shopping and more.
“My oncologist let me know that my PET scan was clear on June 2, 2015,” says Chartrand. “ But I completed 10 days of radiation after that-it helps prevent recurrence- so I wasn't actually finished treatment until July 22, 2015. I have scans every six months with the last one scheduled for May 2017.”
“After that, I kind of felt like I had nothing new to say on the blog,” she says. “I was in remission, my hair was a satisfactory length and I was back to nothing new to say. I felt like there was nothing new to tell people related to my cancer diagnosis or treatment, so I really slacked on writing.”
“But something told me to apply for the IHC Blog Awards.”
“So I did and I promptly forgot about it- and by the way, I didn't tell anybody- not even my husband, Evan.”
“So I was pretty shocked when I was sitting on the couch, casually checking my email when I learned I'd won. And I had to explain it to everyone,” she laughs.
“But it's one of my proudest accomplishments and I'm so honoured,” adds Chartrand. “When I started the blog, I did it with the intention of helping others. But it also helped me a lot, too.”
“My blog was a place to get my jumbled thoughts out and it was a saving grace, both before and after treatment. But overall, I just wanted to help other people going through the same situation.”
“I wanted them to know they weren't alone and that things would eventually get better.”
“This award is such an honour, but I'm also honoured that this humble little venture of mine has reached- and helped- other people with cancer.”
“People helped us out and I want to pay that back.”
Read Part Two of Catching Up With Cheyenne: Life After Lymphoma in next week's Observer.
