Kate - a Gymnast Who Overcomes

Kate Foster, a gymnast, began training in gymnast at the age of six. She was very dedicated to the sport. Having put in 25 hours a week at the gym. But she couldn’t continue her training, when she started feeling sick. For months the illness would come and go. She claims that she felt tired and had a lot of bruises littering her body. She had staph infections and drew the final line. She knew something was really wrong. After blood tests, they found she had acute myeloid leukemia. It was her parents who had known first. She was at the gym, getting in some training. They picked her up from the gym, and took her to an awaiting room at the hospital. Chemotherapy started immediately and made her immune system’s quality plummet.Her hospital stay was very long, due to infections and complications. First, the gangrene infection (due to lack of blood flow) in her leg, then she was on life support for three days.In the same leg, she had another infection, they then stationed her in the ICU. Before the had a bone marrow transplant, in the 3rd round of chemo, doctors discovered an infection in her knee joint. They decided to amputate. Kate of course was heavily saddened. At first, she told them no, After all, she was a devoted gymnast.

Read the full story here.

Quote: "I was devastated. I actually told them no. They were not going to take off my leg. ... Then I came to my senses. I knew, and my family knew, that it was my leg or my life."

She didn’t want the rules changed for her when she began competing against other gymnasts.

QUESTIONS:

  1. Would you have quit doing what you love?

  2. How would you have coped with the thought of losing a part of yourself (limb)?

-I definitely would have been discouraged for a while, but then I would tell myself that I have to prove myself and all the doubters wrong.

-I would’ve probably been very depressed if someone told me I needed to lose a part of me, especially if it hindered the very reason for my

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Replies

  • Good summary but be sure to reply to student comments. -10 late

  • I don't think I would quit doing what I love. I think it would take a long time to get back to how you use to be but I wouldn't want to give up on it. I would be all sorts of sad. I think that it would really affect my day to day life, especially if it was a body part that I needed to do something that I love. In my case if I were to lose a hand/arm it would be harder for me to type and write and I want to becoming an accountant. 

  • I would probably be really depressed afterward. It would be hard to get up after such a life changing event; however, I would probably try to do my best to continue doing what I loved. I would probably need to go to therapy and talk to someone. Losing part of you would be so hard, and I can't even begin to imagine it.

  • Not being able to do what you love is probably the worst and most crucial thing on this planet. I am not sure if I would be able to quit doing what I love, but I guess I wouldn't have any other chance. I would not be able to cope very good with something like that. If I had found out I would loose my limb or something else I would probably have become depressed. I wouldn't be able to get over the fact that I wouldn't be able to continue with doing what I love.

  • no, the human will is harder to break then that in my opinion. i would never let something like that stop me from doing what i love. it would be hard for a long time, like a really long time. but eventuly you have to get up and go out into the world. i would just remember the montra "no matter what happens, no mater how hard life gets, get up, dress up, and dont ever give up."

  • I wouldn't have a lot of motivated for a little while and it would take me a little while to get back into things but I know I'd try my hardest to get what I want. I would be extremely sad and not know what to do with myself. I would pry doubt myself and think that I could never do anything again when that isn't the case.

  • Well in this situation I don't really think she has much of a choice but to give up what she loves. Sometimes it can be best for your life to give up what you love to do. It would be an extremely hard thing to do but sometimes it is the best thing to do. I would cope with it by telling myself that if I wouldn't have lost this part of my body than I could possibly be dead. It was either the leg or death. Cutting off the leg saved her life. 

  • This would be an extremely tough decision if I were in Kate's shoes. I cannot imagine how sad and disheartened she must have been when she first found out about her leukemia and infections.  If I were Kate, I probably would have been devastated, sad, shocked, and angry when I first realized that I had to stop doing something that I loved. However, I think that maintaining your health should be a top priority. I definitely would have turned to my family and friends for support during this difficult time. 

  • I would have been discouraged for a while, but if it saved my life I would accept the change. I would consider new interests or try whatever it takes to keep doing what I love. 

  • I think I would probably also be discouraged for a while, but if it was something I really loved I would try my best to get back to it. It would make me pretty upset if I had to possibly lose a limb, but if it was worth my life I would probably be okay with it eventually.

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