By Max Wexler
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor Lauren Leonardo, 23, is thankful to be at the other end of a cancer journey that doesn't quite line up with usual stories of survivorship.
Read More At just 22, Leonardo received treatment to shrink two grapefruit-sized tumors in her chest. This left two large holes in her esophagus that prevented her from eating or drinking without a feeding tube. After entering remission in April, she set off on the difficult road to eating in drinking normally once again. Recent posts to social media reveal that she has finally made it. In a post made to her TikTok account, @hellolaurenleo, Leonardo explained that after her esophagus healed, she made a plan with her doctor to ease her back into a regular diet. It began with liquids and soft foods and ended with things going back to normal after about three weeks. She stated that at the end of this process, her "victory meal" would be a "mac and cheese cheeseburger on a pretzel bun." She documented the various steps of her transition back into eating and drinking for her flowers. In a video posted on August 5, she excitedly shared that her first beverage other than water in over a year would be a fruity lemonade from Starbucks. An even more heartwarming post came in the form of a video featuring Leonardo's beloved grandmother fulfilling a year-long promise to cook her a homemade meal.
Simple things like eating, drinking, or enjoying the cooking of a loved one are rarely reflected upon in our day-to-day lives. The pure excitement seen on her face throughout these recent posts gives us the opportunity to appreciate things that are so often overlooked.
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