ASHLEY'S STORY
as told by her brother
Justin Paul O'Rear

CHAPTER 3: The Two Years of Cancer

          After the doctor gave us the news, we were feeling as if he had ripped our hearts in two. After Ashley being in ICU for about three days she was moved up to the sixth floor. She was on that floor getting treatment. Her doctor was Dr. Winick. She said we need to do chemotherapy and radiation. She also said she may lose her hair. We understood that. Then after about one week of chemotherapy, we went home. We also went to Georgetown, Texas, to visit Ashley's first grade teacher. Ashley's first grade teacher French-braided Ashley's hair. After we got home, Ashley started saying that her braids were bothering her. So my mom went to take them out. As she was doing that Ashley's hair started coming out in clumps. After my mom was done Ashley had no more hair. Then my mom went into her bedroom and started crying. We knew that's what was going to happen. So we just lived with it. After that Ashley was in the hospital for a while. She was always sick. She was getting a lot of attention. Of course I didn't like that. I was always thinking of myself. When the chemo was over, we held this big party. Thinking it was all over.