On April 13th, 2016, I was diagnosed with stage III Hodgkin's Lymphoma. More prevalent than anything else felt at the time was a deep sense of powerlessness as my oncologist explained my only option was chemotherapy or I would be dead within a year. Photographing personal trauma through the documentation of spaces and objects as evidence of my illness articulates the destructive effects of chemotherapy treatment and the parallel conflicts created by its current role as the immediate response to cancer diagnosis. By means of my personal experiences with sickness, my now-intimate view of the medical industry has allowed me to interrogate a world not often explored. In facing the overwhelming list of side effects present in chemotherapy, I question its place as a go-to method of treatment. Through photographic exploration, I documented spaces within the hospital as well as my home post-treatment, as a way to develop these questions in an artistic manner, and offer the viewer a first person perspective, generating an empathetic experience when considering this work. As I have been directly impacted by the limited choices offered by my oncologist, it is with personal interest, moral interest, and artistic interest that I investigate this subject matter.
