VCOM View Magazine Vol. 13 | No. 1

her treatment to finish reading them all. In that, Casey learned a valuable lesson: “Support is often a marathon, and not a race.” Casey spent nearly a month in the oncology unit at UVA and continued outpatient treatment until January of this year, when she had her official “end of treatment” biopsy. Casey then returned to the VCOM Virginia campus, picking up basically where she left off—though she’s now a member of the Class of “ “I remember my oncologist’s voice fading away and all I could think about was missing school.” - Casey Harvey , VCOM-Virginia Class of 2027

2027 instead of the Class of 2026. “I’m very grateful to VCOM for all their help while I was gone and for making my return fairly seamless,” she says. But the end of treatment has come with challenges. “It seems obvious, but I was surprised end of treatment does not mean a complete return to normal,” she says. “I am still in physical recovery mode and, equally as important, mental recovery mode. It’s like entering a new phase of the cancer journey, and I’m still learning to navigate the post-cancer world.” To help her move forward, Casey has connected with several cancer survivors who returned to rigorous academic careers. Their advice? Focus on school and health. Extracurricular activities must take a back seat. That has been hard for Casey, who was involved in many VCOM activities and organizations before her diagnosis. “I’ve had to intentionally set those aside for

fall 2024 | VCOM V iew M agazine 17