I embarked on my battle with cancer during the summer of 1995, undergoing grueling treatments like chemotherapy and radiation that spanned from my neck to my hip and lungs. Multiple surgeries followed, but my condition deteriorated, resulting in a distressing, bloody mass on my hip. Desperate for medical assistance, I sought help from a doctor who, to my dismay, was unable to provide a solution. Fortunately, I eventually found a specialist at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. who informed me that my right hip was affected, and that amputation of my leg was necessary. Throughout my rehabilitation I discovered the therapeutic power of writing to express my overwhelming emotions. One evening, while alone at home, I poured my heart out onto paper, writing for five hours and filling many pages with my thoughts and feelings.

The following words are the result of that cathartic release.