My Friend Nicole

By Faye Forman

I remember the first time I met Nicole Iorio. It was the summer going into sixth-grade, sometime during July. Much to my dismay, my mother had just enrolled me into a summer camp a few towns over, and the only thing I loathed more than that camp was Nicole, and the feeling was more than mutual. 

Luckily, over time (a week) Nicole and I outgrew our deep-seated hatred for each other, as most immature sixth-grade girls do. Bonding over our strangely similar love of cats, awkward fashion sense and Pokémon cards, Nicole and I developed a friendship that was fostered throughout the summer.

Nine years later, the depth of our friendship maintains despite physical barriers. Nicole, who turns twenty in June, is majoring in Communication Disorders at SUNY New Paltz. Aside from her environmental activism through the NYPIRG, and volunteering at Ulster Country Awareness, a peer-for-peer drug-counseling program, Nicole enjoys the abundance of outdoor activities the town of New Paltz has to offer. 

“ I really like the environment that it (New Paltz) is in. You’re minutes away from a friendly town but you’re also surrounded by so many places to go hiking and to appreciate the natural things around you,”she said. Nicole also enjoys exploring Lake Minnewaska State Park, Mohonk Mountain House, Bear Cliff, and Peters Kill State Park with her roommates.

A Long Island native, Nicole visits the beach during the summer in addition to all of her other outdoorsy activities. “It’s a very tranquil environment, and I love swimming!” She is an avid reader and enjoys the Thai Restaurant ‘Lemongrass,’ nestled in New Paltz’s quirky and student-populated town.
 
Despite Nicole’s healthy way of life, she was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes, on January 23. Originally, Nicole went to the doctor to get an X-ray because she felt fluid in her lungs, and coincidentally the cancer mass was found. 

“I was scared and upset because I had to come home from school and I didn’t really know what I was going to deal with, but at the same time I was grateful because I thought ‘yay!’ this is very treatable and it could have been worse,” she recalls.

So far, Nicole has undergone two treatments of chemotherapy, which she explains, equates to one cycle. “I’m supposed to get six cycles done overall. In April I’m getting a PET scan done to see the progress so far.”

One of the hardest parts aside from constantly feeling tired and sore, Nicole explains, is losing her hair. 

“Well it’s starting to fall out. I’m getting used to it though, I cut it to try to make it a little less traumatic and I got a wig in case I do feel uncomfortable, I have a great support system and a loving family to help me ease the burden,” she says. A few days ago, one of Nicole’s roommates sent her a pink wig for fun, and she picked up a curly brunette wig as well.

Nicole also explained that she’s taking an online class in disorders of child language, and two classes over the summer so she doesn’t fall behind in school.

Nicole’s positive attitude and approach toward the diagnosis is certainly a huge factor in the treatment process. 

“I always want to look at life with a ‘glass half full’ mentality,” Nicole says. “I can be positive or negative about the whole process, but either way I’ll still have cancer so I might as well have the best attitude about it that I can.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

To learn more, donate, or cheer Nicole on, please visit:
Relay for Life