In February of 2011 I was 22-years-old and attending Orange Coast College. One day I began to notice that I was bruising easily. My legs were covered in bruises by the time I went to my doctor. The doctor told me I was probably anemic and run down due to my work and school schedule. She ran a regular CBC blood test.
The next day, I was surprised to see I had missed a call from her. It was after five o’clock so I figured I would call her the next day. I was not feeling sick - maybe a little tired - but not sick. My phone rang that night at 6pm. It was my doctor telling me she was referring me to a hematologist hematologist: (hee-muh-TOL-uh-jist) A doctor who specializes in treating blood diseases and disorders of blood producing organs. /oncologist because she thought I might have leukemia. She told me I needed a transfusion (my platelet platelet: The smallest type of blood cell. Platelets help the blood to clot and stop bleeding. Also called a thrombocyte. count was 56). I was so upset I could not speak. I asked her to call my mom and explain the test results to her. I honestly thought I had to be misunderstanding her.
A few days later, I was sitting in the waiting room of the oncologist oncologist: (on-KAH-luh-jist) A doctor who specializes in the treatment and prevention of cancer. still feeling like it was all a bad dream. He told me he was not sure what was wrong, but I needed to have a bone marrow biopsy bone marrow biopsy: A medical procedure to remove a small piece of solid bone marrow using a needle that goes into the marrow of the hip bone. The solid bone marrow is examined for cell abnormalities, the number of different cells and checked for scarring of the bone marrow. . Off to the hospital I went thinking there must be a mistake. On March 2, 2011, I was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia aplastic anemia: (ay-PLASS-tik uh-NEE_mee-uh) A rare and serious condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough blood cells - red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The term aplastic is a Greek word meaning not to form. Anemia is a condition that happens when red blood cell count is low. Most… . The doctor told me he had not seen many cases, but this was the worst he had seen. He told me I needed to be sent to the City of Hope National Medical Center close to Los Angeles. My only chance of long-term survival was a bone marrow transplant bone marrow transplant: A bone marrow transplant (BMT) is also called a stem cell transplant (SCT) or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT).The procedure replaces unhealthy blood-forming stem cells with healthy ones and offers some patients the possibility of a cure. But for many patients, a BMT is not an option due… .
My family and I went home and started to search the Internet for information on this disease we had never heard of. The one place that helped was AAMDSIF. I spoke to people at the foundation and they provided access to patient blogs and provided guidance. Suddenly I was not in this alone. There were others fighting the same fight.
Less than a month after finding the bruises, I had already had six transfusions and I was a patient at the City of Hope by the end of March. They began testing my siblings to see if I had a match. This took a few weeks and during that time the transfusions became more frequent. I was out of the hospital one day and began bleeding so badly from my ear lobes where my ears were pierced, that I had to be rushed to the hospital for yet another transfusion.
During this time, I relied on my faith. I never questioned why this was happening. I just focused on beating it. I read everything I could about aplastic anemia. At times, it scared me. Other times, it relieved me. My life was a roller coaster of emotions. I had to quit school. My friends and family were supportive. My boyfriend of eight months decided it was too much for him to handle.
On April 14, 2011, I was given the news that my 13-year-old sister was a match. We all cried. My family took classes about my disease and how to support me at the City of Hope. City of Hope takes care of the whole family - not just the patient. It is an amazing place. I had long hair and I donated it before I began chemotherapy chemotherapy: (kee-moe-THER-uh-pee) The use of medicines that kill cells (cytotoxic agents). People with high-risk or intermediate-2 risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) may be given chemotherapy to kill bone marrow cells that have an abnormal size, shape, or look. Chemotherapy hurts healthy cells along with… .
Nothing could prepare me for the effect the chemotherapy would have on me physically or mentally. The physical effects I know are different for everyone, but I was so sick to my stomach I could not hold any type of food down. I just keeping wondering that because I felt so sick, how would I be strong enough to endure the transplant?
Ready or not, the transplant took place on May 27, 2011. I am told I was lucky. I never showed any signs of graft versus host disease. I did have some reactions to the numerous medications I was required to take. I spent a total of 78 days at the City of Hope. I came home bald, wearing a mask with over 16 different medications, and a PIC line in my arm that needed to be flushed daily. But I was alive and on the road to recovery.
It was a long road, but I am happy to say today that vitamins are my only medications, my hair is past my shoulders and I am finally back to work. I just had my six-month checkup and all is good. When I became ill, I was in the Child Development Certification program at Orange Coast College. I have since returned to finish the program and am now working at a daycare facility. I hope to someday teach preschool through kindergarten.