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Cancer: that's a word that can be pretty tough for people to deal with. How do you tell people you have cancer? Who do you have to tell? How will people react? These are all questions you may be wondering about.

So, who do you tell?

• Some people prefer to tell everyone they know, so that people aren't wondering what is going on and that less rumors begin to spread about your appearance or absences from school, etc. It saves you from some pretty obnoxious questions too.
• Some people only tell close friends and teachers. Close friends and teachers are more likely to understand and can help you tell other people as well.
• Some people prefer not to tell anyone. If you don't have many physical changes, some people may never know.

Some annoying questions you'll probably be asked:

• What happened to your hair?
• Are you going to die?
• Does it hurt?
• Do you glow after radiation treatments?

Try to be prepared for these questions and you can have fun with them. For example, when they ask "What happened to your hair?", respond by saying that you ate some bad tuna. Or, if they ask "Are you going to die?", respond by saying "Of course, everyone's going to die, I'm just more prepared for it". Even though having osteosarcoma is a serious situation, it doesn't hurt to get a few laughs out of it. Like the old saying says, "laughter is the best medicine".

One thing to remember is that some people may not be able to handle that fact that you are sick. Cancer is a very scary word, and your friends and classmates may not know how to react to it. If people act funny, try not to take it personally. It's their problem, not yours. You'll be making new friends through your cancer experience and throughout your lifetime, and your true friends will always stick by your side.

Mostly, friends will tend to pull away because they are scared to say or do the wrong thing. They may think that somehow you will be different inside because you look different on the outside. The best way to deal with this is to share with them what is going on in your life. Being open about what you are feeling and going through will help people realize that you are the same person that they knew before and will help them feel more connected to you and your disease.