Patrice banned "stinkin' thinkin'" from her mind as she began treatment for aplastic anemia. Later, she'd continue that practice during her bone marrow transplant, so she began not just surviving, but thriving! Listen to her story here.
Listen to Duane's story, leading to his 2009 transplant, and continuing survivorship!
"Three hours after they drew my blood, my doctor called to tell me to go immediately to the emergency room!" Because Kirollos was a pharmacy student, he understood that having such low blood counts needed fast treatment, but he was still surprised. Discover how he progressed from diagnosis to transplant to survivorship quickly here.
"Never give up!" That's Brandi's advice to patients. Her diagnosis was months in coming, and then more time to find the best allogenic donor for her transplant---over 19 months in the hospital between diagnosis and successful transplant.
My Diagnosis
In the summer of 2014 I noticed ongoing bruising all over my body. At first, I thought it might have to do with my diet (low iron), but soon I noticed a new kind of mark on my skin, almost having a bulls-eye appearance. By end of summer I knew I had to do something about this.
In October 2017 I was hospitalized for extreme dizziness, vomiting, fatigue, bruising, and shortness of breath. As an active, healthy person, having these symptoms was worrisome. My husband took me to the emergency room, where they performed a series of tests. We waited for my results, and a nurse looked at me and asked if I realized how pale I looked, and neither my husband or I had even noticed.
In May 2017, life was good and I was “living the dream”. I had been working full time for about a year after graduating from the University of Kentucky. I was living in Columbus, Ohio, working for an organization that supports children with childhood cancer and catastrophic disease. Everything was on track for my future.
I started to feel sick. At first it seemed like flu-like symptoms of fatigue, racing heartbeat, lack of energy and some bruising that just wouldn’t go away.
We are pleased to let patients and families know about the LLS blood cancer support group opportunities around the country. These support groups are facilitated by LLS, not AAMDSIF. This group meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 5:30pm-7:00pm. The group is facilitated by Jim Willsey, Ellie Colins, Susan Garland and Diane Passantino. If you would like to join the support group or want more information, please contact LLS, (401) 943-8888.
We are pleased to let patients and families know about the LLS blood cancer support group opportunities around the country. These support groups are facilitated by LLS, not AAMDSIF. This group meets on the the second Thursday of the month from 6:00pm - 7:00pm at Breslin Cancer Center 401 W Greenlawn Avenue Lansing, MI 48910. The group is facilitated by Robin Willner. There is no charge to participate in this group but pre-registration is required, https://www.llsform.org/ho0999SER/LAN1FSG/index.html