Friends Forever?
If you’ve been away for a while, it may seem as if some friends have moved on to new interests or developed other friendships while you were gone. Give yourselves a chance to get comfortable with one another again. Sometimes friends are worried that things will change between you, when they just want everything to be the same. Reassure them that you’re still the same person. Once they realize this, they’ll usually relax, and treat you like old times. Some kids say they make new friends with other classmates after their transplant, and that their new friends are better buddies than they had before.Your friends may now include kids you met at the hospital. Try to keep in touch with them since you may still be experiencing similar challenges, and can call each other for support.
What to Say
You may be wonder what you’ll say about your changed appearance to friends or others who are curious. Try explaining it straight out: “The medicine I’m taking for my transplant makes my face bloated, but I’ll return to normal after I stop taking it.” Some kids say using humor helps loosen others up. If you’ve met other kids who have been through a transplant, you might ask what approaches worked for them.
Keeping Up
Returning to school may bring worries about catching up with work. The chemotherapy and radiation treatment you received can sometimes affect things like your memory, handwriting, or ability to concentrate or organize things. Some kids say math is more difficult for them since their transplant. To help you deal with the challenges you’re facing, meet with your teacher and set up study goals. When you meet your goals, you’ll feel good about yourself and your schoolwork.		  
School Support
These kids tell what it was like to return to school and friends.
“Everyone wore hats and bandannas to show their support. Usually hats aren’t allowed at my school, but as long as I wanted to wear one, my classmates could, too.”
45b.jpg (2155 bytes)Age 12, 2 years after transplant
“At first, kids thought they’d get sick if they talked to me. I told them they couldn’t catch my disease. Then they loosened up.”

45d.jpg (2643 bytes) Age 15, 3 1/2 years after transplant
“It's easier to have a good relationship with someone if they've gone through the same thing. Our hospital helped us contact another girl who also had cancer. We met, and we're a lot alike!”
45i.jpg (2174 bytes) Age 11, 4 years after transplant