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WINONA, Minn. (AP) — Alex Strelow fought cancer.
Then she fought to define herself beyond it.
Strelow, who graduated from Cotter High School in May and started classes at Winona State University last week, was used to a busy high schooler's life, filled with classes, homework, sports, extracurricular activities and friends.
But in June 2012, just after her freshman year of high school, she began having trouble breathing, the Winona Daily News (http://bit.ly/1KrZvZC ) reported. Her neck swelled up, and she was often dizzy and faint during volleyball practices.
A trip to her doctor's office resulted in an unexpected twist: The doctor suspected lymphoma, a form of blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system.
Strelow remembers going to the hospital in Rochester the same day, where she remained for more than a week. Tests revealed she had Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is treated with chemotherapy and radiation, and cancer treatment became the new normal.
"It was a really depressing time, and I cried almost every day," she said. "It was just hard."
It's still hard for Strelow to talk about that chapter in her life, which involved surgeries, blood transfusions, countless shots, pain and months of uncertainty, but she said faith, family and her friends helped her through.
"Trying to get out of the house helped a lot, and just being with friends and people helped get my mind off stuff," she said.
Another bright spot was a staff member in the radiology department, who asked Strelow what she was in the hospital for.
"I said, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and he said, funny story, he was 15 or 16, too, and he had the same exact thing, so he knows how tough it is," Strelow recalled.
Now aiming for a nursing degree at Winona State, Strelow said she'd like to use her experience to help other kids get through hard times.
"Before I wanted to become a teacher and work with little kids, and then after all the hospital stays and everything, I wanted to become a nurse, because they were there for you all the time, and they were really there when you needed it," she said.
Strelow is already working toward her goal. Committed to paying for college herself, she received several scholarships, including one from the Winona Health Foundation for local students pursuing health care careers. She got a job as a certified nursing assistant, and she hopes to work through school. She also volunteers at blood drives, since she can no longer donate herself.
Cotter soccer coach and director of residence life Marie Barrientos said that's just like Strelow.
The two met when Strelow showed up at soccer practice the fall of her junior year, because she'd heard the team needed a goalie. She'd played volleyball, then taken a year off due to her illness.
"I go up to my coach the first day, and I'm like hey, so I'm here to be your goalie if I'm good enough," Strelow said with a laugh.
Never having played soccer, Strelow stuck it out, playing through pain from her treatment and monthly checkups. Her teammates voted her captain, and she was all-conference her senior year.
"When you think of teammate, that's what she is," Barrientos said.
Strelow didn't want to be treated differently because of her illness, and Barrientos worked to show her that she was herself — athletic, smart, and compassionate.
She was allowed to have bad days too, another thing her soccer coach stressed.
"I wanted to be normal again," Strelow said, "and not have everyone think of me as the girl that had cancer. I also needed to prove to myself and to others that I was okay."
When she wasn't, Barrientos was there to encourage her. "She's so outwardly strong that sometimes it's hard to remember that she was just a kid," Barrientos said.
Cotter High School Principal Dave Forney also spoke highly of Strelow, whom he's known since junior high.
He said while it was hard to see how much Strelow had to go through, her ability to see positive things in hard situations will suit her well in the nursing field.
"It's a great opportunity for her. She can take what she's gone through and relate to people who are hurting."
Heck, she might even crack a joke or two.
"There's always something about her that could find a little bit of humor and a lot of hope in the future," Forney said.
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Information from: Winona Daily News, http://www.winonadailynews.com
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