Uncertainty

I was feeling very tired and weak. I’d sleep so much every day, and I had bruises on my shoulders and was out of breath for no reason. Then one day, I was having really bad stomach pain and was throwing up everything I ate and drank. I wasn’t sure what was going on because I’ve always been healthy—nothing was ever wrong with me.

One day, it got really bad, so I went to the doctor, and they gave me fluids and medicine and sent me home. But over the weekend, I got worse. I went to the doctor again on Monday, and I was in so much pain and bleeding so badly all of a sudden. From the doctor’s office, I was rushed to the hospital.

In the hospital, it took them four days to figure out what was wrong, so I was transferred to another hospital. There, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and needed intense chemotherapy. I was very sick, not knowing what was next. It was very scary, and I was uncertain about what was in store for me.

After many months of intense chemotherapy, I was finally rid of the cancer. However, I still needed ongoing treatment for two years and had follow-up visits. Eventually, I was released from the cancer center.

My support system was my husband—he stayed by my side always—and some friends who knew what it was like to have a serious illness helped, so I am thankful for that. I was out of work for a year. It was hard, but I made it through, thank goodness.