Thursday, February 23, 2012

Question Mark

Well, here I am, writing a blog & I have no idea what I'm doing. I guess on this first post I should share a little bit of what I'm all about. I just recently recovered from a 9 month battle with Leukemia. It hit me, out of nowhere, like a ton of bricks... BAM!

 The day after a routine visit to the doctor for some migraines, I got a call from my doctor, "your blood tests came back and they don't look good", he said. "Your white blood cells are 4 times what they should be & your red blood cells are less than half of what they should be." I don't know about you, but I had no idea where he was going with this. "You have cancer of the blood. Either leukemia or lymphoma." You know on movies when the camera zooms in, from really far out, on to a persons eye with lightening speed & a loud ringing sound? That's about right.

 One week I was making coffee, working a job, cooking dinner, living on a boat, & running around with my boyfriend & baby puppy dog. One phone call & 2 hours later, I was in a hospital bed getting blood taken out, then getting some put back in. Having my bone cut out and marrow plunged out. Getting a permanent line put in my arm that allows blood, medicine, & chemo to go straight to my heart.

 They told me that my blood was 95% leukemic cells & that I had to start treatment immediately or I would die within 1 week. I didn't even really understand what leukemia was, but I had to make a decision that would change my life forever. So, staring death in the face, I did what any young, cancer-clueless person would do: I chose chemotherapy. What a whirl wind of events. Fast forward through 9 months of chemotherapy, & I've got some serious lifestyle changes to put in to play.

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