Something is not right with this. It seems like 1/2 the young survivors I meet online get really sick or have passed. I’ve been a “survivor”/”mAss Kicker” for 2 1/2 years now. I find this very disturbing because over the past 30 years there has been no improvement in the survival rates in young adult age group (15-39) while the survival rates in the pediatric and geriatric population have improved. But more importantly this is disturbing to me because this group of young adult patients were the people who I preferred to turn to when I needed support. My friends were there, but it is nice to talk to or email someone that understands what you are up against. For me, most of the brain tumor patients that I could find were older women my mom’s age. Now don’t get me wrong, hanging out with other survivors was great, but finding young people closer to my age that could speak my “language” was something that I missed. My friends and family were great, but it was so nice to meet someone like me that was walking or had walked a similar path.There are many reasons there has been no improvement in young adult survival rates:

• Lack of research – Young people often are not eligible for studies (too old for pediatric studies or to young for traditional studies) and there are few studies geared towards the 15-39 age group.
• Entry level jobs with poor healthcare – young people are just starting out so the costs of healthcare are not a priority. Education about warning signs could really help.
• Doctors don’t take us seriously because we are not in the typical demographic for cancer, brain tumors, or whatever
• “Superman” complex – Belief that nothing can happen to us until it’s too late. We think we are invincible!

I’m tired of learning about people I’ve met getting sick again. I have made many friends on MySpace and facebook, but the fact remains that this demographic is often ignored. Organizations likeI’m Too Young for This or Planet Cancer do a great job providing support for the neglected young adult demographic, but people need to be aware of this fact. Because people generally don’t know about this please spread the word.

-Eric Galvez

Eric Galvez is a brain turmor survivor living in San Diego, California. He is the author of Reversal: When a Therapist Becomes a Patient.

http://www.ericgalvezdpt.com/

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