Interview 23

Age at Interview: 23

Sex: Male

Age at Diagnosis: 22

Background: He is single and lives with his mother and siblings. He is a third year law student and plans to go back to university after finishing his treatment.

Brief outline:Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2004. He gave up his chemotherapy treatment but went back to it after realising that there is no other treatment available. Current treatment: chemotherapy.

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Felt lonely and bored in his single room and says it felt like being in prison.



But when you're, while you're receiving treatment tell me about your feelings about being in a ward in which you have your own room rather than being with other people?

You're, it, it gets very boring. It's, it's like prison and now that's how it feels to me. You're in one, in one room and there's nothing to do. You've got a TV and, but there's hardly anything ever on it. And you've got your own telephone line but I don't feel like talking much. A lot of people who do phone but sometimes you don't have the strength. You're just sitting down all the time. You're sitting down and you're just thinking to yourself what's going on. What's happening with your life and do don't know what to do.

Do you have a, or have you discussed with doctors whether there is a kind of young person or teenage cancer ward here in this city?

I haven't discussed that with my doctors.

What would you say while you're receiving treatment that you would like to be in a young person's ward?

That would be helpful in a way so you can see other people as well. What they are going through. It might make it easier on yourself as well.

So it is the isolation that is also quite tough?

The isolation is quite tough because I was a very outgoing type of person and that and straight away being locked up and not being able to see more than two visitors. I've, I've had more than two visitors anyway. Don't I always have a handful of visitors. The doctors are always complaining that you shouldn't have too many visitors but I still do. But it's hard going.
Teenage cancer

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