Let’s start from the beginning.
I’ve been feeling like I had allergies all summer. I was exhausted. Overly exhausted especially towards the end of July/ early August. It just kept getting worse.
Monday, August 21 (eclipse day), I had an appointment to see a real live doctor (no more urgent care / little clinics for me). It was an annual exam (that was long overdue) and I wanted to talk about my exhaustion level and allergies. She ran some blood work, she said she would check my thyroid, since I was so tired all the time.
Tuesday, call back to go in and re-check my blood because my white blood cell count and thyroid was low. Dang it. I’m going to have to stop eating bread. I went and got donuts that day. Because, well, that’s what I do.
Wednesday, doctor wants me to come in and talk to me about my results in person. Well, that’s not good. Isn’t a low thyroid common? I figured she would just prescribe me some pills over the phone.
OK, so I go in later that day and she says my white blood cell count is low and she’s concerned, I need to go see a hematology oncologist. The word leukemia may have come up in this conversation.
Friday, I get the referral call and schedule my appointment for the first available which is the following Friday, September 1. OK, well, if it was serious, surely, I would have gotten in sooner than 2 weeks after my initial blood work.
Friday, September 1, Dr. S, my hematology oncologist tells me that I should go check in to the hospital today and get a bone marrow biopsy. I try real hard to get out of it, I mean, can I go tomorrow. We had tickets to see Trevor Hall! UGH. Fine, I’ll go.
Today, Saturday, September 2, I’ve done 3 CTs, a bone marrow biopsy, 2 blood draws, and an ultrasound of my heart.
Physically I feel good. I don’t feel sick. I even have more energy at times.
Mentally I feel good. I’m really hopeful and I have an amazing husband to support me (and bring me yummy food!)
I have non-M3 AML.
FLT3 – not detected
NPM1 – detected
I guess that’s good. I have a favorable prognosis with intermediate risk. Whatever that means.
Over time, I’m going to post my first few journal entries pre-hospital, pre-blog. I’ll try and remember to link them here. If you came across this blog because you just heard the C word, I hope that it’s helpful to read. I know this is the kind of real situation stuff I wanted to read. I didn’t necessarily need all the science behind it all.
1 comment
I have bookmarked your blog
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