Marianna, Switzerland

At the beginning it is like the story of someone else. We hear about those all the time. It is almost a struggle to accept that this time it is you. And you are suddenly in a different world, full of hospitals and exams that become your entire reality. It is so hard to remember that you are not just a patient, it is so difficult not to lose your identity. Things became even harder for me when I lost my hair: at that point everyone could see what I was going through. I could not recognize my reflection in the mirror anymore. So, I started focusing on my eyes. They were no different, and in there I could still see myself, the child, the young adult and the person I was just before my diagnosis. My eyes kept me anchored to the real me, that was never gone, only temporarily turned into a different form.