Cora chose Mount Mauna Kea because she had seen it on a nature show and learned it is the tallest mountain from seabottom (and a volcanic mountain which makes it cool!)  The way Cora explains her mountain is that it is really steep and uphill at the beginning at diagnosis and in the early phases of treatment, with many obstacles and fireballs for her to dodge.  But with every doctor visit and phase, she moves forward and eventually she gets over the top.   Then there is the downhill, which is easier, but still has obstacles and takes a long time to get through.  Cora describes that she has had to dodge many fireballs along the way; she says the biggest fireball was the one coming for her before she knew she had leukemia, but she dodged it by figuring out that she had leukemia and by being brave when starting treatment.  Other big fireballs have been times she has not felt well, has had to do tough treatment days, or needed hospitalization…she decides.  She imagines that there are gem prizes along the way that she collects with every big step she takes forward (every time she has a big treatment day or has to be hospitalized, etc).  She also imagines unicorns and butterflies along the way that help her get through the tough times.

This metaphor became something we talked about so much that Cora eventually drew the mountain she was imagining and we actually framed the drawing and labelled the phases of treatment at the bottom of the drawing.  It hangs outside her room and she literally moves a little stick-figure of herself on the glass every time she feels she has done something tough to move her forward.  It has been a metaphor that she has really latched on to and has helped her so much to visualize her long treatment path, and it has empowered her to give herself credit for all of the amazing things she has had to do along the way.