Hear Lilly's Roar
- Lilly Bumpus, the cancer survivor who broke the Girl Scout Cookie sales record, headed into get her remission check scans with a positive attitude.
- Lilly was originally diagnosed with a rare type of cancer called Ewing sarcoma when she was born, but now the 8-year-old is seven years in remission.
- The lingering fear of a cancer recurrence, often referred to as "scanxiety," is a very real thing for many cancer patients, but focusing on things you can control can help ease the anxiety.
Lilly was born with a rare type of cancer called Ewing sarcoma, and she had to undergo both chemotherapy and bone removal before she turned one. Today, she has some abnormal bone growth from the chemotherapy, but she has spent seven years in remission. And after kicking cancer’s butt, she decided to demolish the Girl Scout Cookie selling record by selling more than 32,000 boxes of cookies this year.
Read MoreView this post on Instagram
“Kicking cancers booty today!” Trish wrote. “She's headed into her scans now. Please put her in your hearts and prayers for clear scans… Will you believe with us? Love you all!!!”
Trish also posted a video of Lilly on the way to the hospital. And instead of dreading the trip, Lily was seemingly having a blast. In the video, she was belting out “I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar” as she sang along to Katy Perry’s inspiring anthem Roar.
View this post on Instagram
“How do you drive to have scans to check if your still cancer free?” the Instagram post read. “With @katyperry on full blast! Dear cancer, today you go down!!”
Understanding Ewing Sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a specific type of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue surrounding the bones. It is most commonly found in adolescents, but younger children, as well as adults (in their 20s and 30s) can also be diagnosed with this disease.
According to the Mayo Clinic, some signs and symptoms of Ewing sarcoma include:
- Pain, swelling or tenderness near the affected area
- Bone pain
- Unexplained tiredness
- Fever with no known cause
- Losing weight without trying
Treatment for Ewing sarcoma depends on the location of the cancer and the size of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. A doctor’s treatment plan may involve a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Sometimes the aggressive nature of these treatments can cause both short-term and long-term side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, "lifelong monitoring is recommended" after completing treatment to watch for potential late effects of the intense treatment.
Handling 'Scanxiety'
The lingering fear of a cancer recurrence, often referred to as "scanxiety," is a very real thing. Some handle it by belting out Katy Perry lyrics on the way to the hospital, but others really struggle with the process. For those people who are able to turn these check-up scans into a positive event, all the power to you, but the reality is that many cancer patients report that waiting on test results is even worse than the initial cancer diagnosis.
Unfortunately, we know that no one is truly ever "safe" when it comes to cancer, but survivors often feel less and less anxious as more time goes by. And although it can be very scary awaiting these uncontrollable results, sometimes it can help to focus on the things that are in your control.
Dr. Ken Miller from University of Maryland School of Medicine tells SurvivorNet the most important ways to stay healthy in between scans to help prevent another cancer diagnosis.
- One is exercise. I'm going to want you to be doing at least two hours a week of some exercise, and walking counts.
- The second is I personally recommend a low-fat diet.
- Third thing is I recommend a colorful diet. So I think there's real value to fruits and vegetables.
- And the fourth is trying to be close to ideal body weight.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
