ABSTRACT
In May of 1986, my sister Jennifer (the second author of this chapter) was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This type of leukemia accounts for 90% of all childhood leukemia, with the best prognosis for children between 2 and 14 years of age (American Cancer Society, 1991). Jennifer was 15 years old. The diagnosis of her leukemia initiated a family crisis that is only now, 10 years later, approaching resolution. In June 1994, Jennifer was considered cured. This is her story and the stories of our parents, with myself (the first author and Jennifer's oldest sister) acting as historian and narrator of their stories. 1 From our discussions, three common issues arose during my family's experiences with Jennifer's leukemia and provide the focus of this chapter: (a) communication within the health care context, specifically information gathering, input into decision making, and communication with hospital personnel, (b) reactions to social support efforts, and (c) communication within the family.
