The day my unexpected journey bagan and my life changed forever was December 9, 2003. My husband George, my two sons Anthony, Adam and I had a scheduled doctor's appointment for routine lab work cholesterol, triclycerides, etc...I felt fine. However, about 2 weeks prior to this appointment I had been having fevers and felt like I was "coming down with something". I thought I had gotten a very light case of the flu. I didn't feel that sick really, so I did not think much of it.
Our appointment was in the morning. By 3:00 p.m. my Doctor called to talk to me herself (which as you know is usually not a good sign). She asked if anyone was with me at the present time. I said yes, my husband. She then said I have some bad news, I believe by my reports that you have leukemia. All I can say is I went immediately into SHOCK!
She said my CBC showed my white counts at 18,000. So, she ordered further testing of my blood and it indicated blast cells which indicated that I indeed had leukemia..She had already scheduled me with an oncologist for the next day and told me he would do a Bone Marrow Biposy (BMB). I cried and cried, my husband cried - I just could not believe this was happening and even now it is hard to accept and understand.
That next day I saw the oncologist and had the BMB. Since this procedure was new to me I did not know what to expect. I had no sedation, no medication, but because of no sedation I experienced very intense pain! My husband said the procedure looked barbaric. Since then, I've had 3 or 4 BMBs and always ask for pre-medication as soon as I arrive.
My oncologist was (still is) Dr. Marshall Schreeder who had confirmed that my blood in fact showed leukemia, and that the BMB results would be back in a few days. He informed me that I would have to go into hospital and I would be there from 3-4 weeks for "Induction chemo treatment". Still in shock, I thought he was speaking a foreign language. I didn't understand what was going to happen to me! Now through experience and research I know more about leukemia and cancer that I ever wanted to know.
To make matters worse all this was happening only a couple of weeks before Christmas. I have a large family and love the holidays and I knew being away from them would be difficult. Not to mention I was about to undergo serious chemo therapy and didn't know what would happen to me. The same night after my BMB our pastor came over to our house and prayed with us. I packed my bags in confusion brokenhearted and thought I was in a dream. What do you pack for a month in the hospital? That was a difficult night for me as I had never been away from my family and did not want to leave them at all. I didn't get a wink of sleep!
The next morning my husband, my Mother, my son Adam and I went to the hospital and I was admitted. I was taken to my room on the oncology floor. Facing a month or more in the hospital I went to work decorating my room with photos of my grand kids. I kept a photo of our 6 kids and 1 of me and my husband by my bedside. I placed a 2 foot Christmas tree that I always decorated in my home foyer and we put that up in my room too. It was beautiful and had twinkling lights with a victorian angel on top. I have never been that sad or depressed in my entire life!
Later that day my PICC line was inserted into my arm through a main artery. As soon as this was done Dr. Schreeder's physician's assistant came in to see me and gave me lots of information about what I was about to experience. He told me something a woman would never wish to hear, that I would age about ten years in the next month! My chemo began the next morning around 5:00 a.m. From the time I was diagnosed my mother kept a detailed journal of everything that was happening to me. You can visit my online MEDICAL JOURNAL for a complete diary of my treatments.
My hair fell completely out! I contracted a rare but known disorder called "SWEETS SYNDROME". Sweets Syndrome is huge purple reddish bumps, and they were on my face and upper body and around my neck area. On my tongue and mouth I got ulcers (mucositis) that hurt so bad for 5 days that I could not talk and had to have morphine to even eat. Which wasn't much I lost 20 pounds! My fevers reached 104 and I became NEUTROPENIC, so, I had no immune system, couldn't receive any visitors, had to wear a mask, and my diet was a Neutropenic diet which consisted of no fresh fruits or vegetables. My mom and husband did get to visit with some restrictions.
During all this I decided it wasn't going to take my Christmas giving spirit away! The day before Christmas Eve I gave my mom a shopping list of my children's favorite things and goodies. She brought them to me in the hospital and I made "goodie" bags with decorative ribbons and beautiful Christmas paper. That made me feel better during this dark period of my life. My family has always had a "big" Christmas. I usually buy all year long in preparation for the holidays. One of my favorite things around Christmas and everyone loves the most is my cooking! I was so devastated that I could not prepare all the kids favorite specialties, so, I surprised them by catering some festive food from one of our local eateries.
Christmas Eve night was a living nightmare! I was so depressed. I just wanted to go home. I did get to talk with everyone that night as they all congregated at our house to eat the food I made sure they had for Christmas. I was so touched when all of my kids said they would not celebrate Christmas or open a single gift until I was back home. After talking to them all, I looked at my Christmas tree until I finally cried myself to sleep.
Everyday I was waiting for my blood counts to be in a range where I could go home. The room seemed to be getting smaller and I was getting cabin fever! FINALLY, my blood work was back to normal and my doctor said I could go home! Unfortunately, I had to have another BMB before I could leave, but thank GOD is revealed that I was in remission. I was exstatic! I got to put my clothes and my make-up on for the first time in 30 days! My mom bought me a new denim cap to wear for my bald head. However, who would really care about a bald head if you were going home!
When we turned onto my street and I saw my home I cried. When I went inside and saw my youngest son Adam and my daughter-in-law Erin, my 3 littles Yorkies, I just came apart. I was just so glad to be home.
I got home on January 5th the very next weekend we celebrated the "biggest" Christmas ever! I have had 4 consolidation chemo treatments since then and have been in remission since 1/2004 PRAISE GOD!! For a more detailed summary of my actual treatments and diagnosis click on my MEDICAL JOURNAL. Please visit my Leukemia - Lymphoma Support page. Click Here To Visit.
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