Lee --

In answer to your question about whether this can strike teenagers ... yes, it can and does. One of our most memorable posters was Hayley, an 18-year-old from England who was diagnosed in 2007 (do a search for her name in the Search box at the upper right of each forum page). Both she and her mother were active participants on the boards during her diagnosis and treatment; when her mom last updated in April 2009, Hayley was doing just fine.