I am an adult cancer patient in treatment. I was diagnosed with Chronic Idiopathic Myelofibrosis and Essential Thrombocytosis in the year 2000 at the age of 10.I found out when I had my appendix removed my platelets were way above average, they were up to 2 million. I’m the youngest in New Mexico that the doctors who have treated with this type of cancer. When I was first diagnosed I was put on the chemo medication called Anagrelide which is in pill form. When I first started this chemo the side effects were horrible. In the beginning I had really bad nose bleeds that would literally drench bath towels I would bleed for 3 hours or more. One time it was so bad I almost had to have a blood transfusion. My blood has a hard time with clotting so even a simple cut or scrape will cause me to...
I am an adult cancer patient in treatment. I was diagnosed with Chronic Idiopathic Myelofibrosis and Essential Thrombocytosis in the year 2000 at the age of 10.I found out when I had my appendix removed my platelets were way above average, they were up to 2 million. I’m the youngest in New Mexico that the doctors who have treated with this type of cancer. When I was first diagnosed I was put on the chemo medication called Anagrelide which is in pill form. When I first started this chemo the side effects were horrible. In the beginning I had really bad nose bleeds that would literally drench bath towels I would bleed for 3 hours or more. One time it was so bad I almost had to have a blood transfusion. My blood has a hard time with clotting so even a simple cut or scrape will cause me to bleed more than normal. I was so pale and had dark circles around my eyes all the time. I felt depressed and withdrawn. It was a nightmare. I had to have blood tests every month and bone marrow biopsies every 6 months to a year. In 2005 they changed my chemo to Hydroxyurea which is also in pill form. When I first started this chemo the side effects were also horrible. My cancer has limited me to a lot of things especially when I was in school I couldn’t participate in sports which was really hard for me. But one of my greatest accomplishments so far was graduating high school. I had to fight for it but receiving my high school diploma is definitely a moment I’ll never forget. I have been told by doctors that I probably won’t make it past 18 but I’ve defeated the odds. I’ve been fighting cancer for 11 years now. It’s been a long battle and it hasn’t always been easy for me and my family. What I have can progress into Acute Leukemia. I will eventually have to have a bone marrow transplant, which the healing process after the surgery can take up to months in the hospital. A few years ago there was a slight percentage increase in my bone marrow. My platelets are constantly on a roller coaster ride…taking my emotional and physical being along with it. Hopefully one day they will be in the “normal range”. I don’t know what the future holds for me; all I know is that I’m going to continue to live my life every day to the fullest. I have my good days and my bad but I’m coping with what I have a lot better than I was before. I am so blessed to have my family and friends supporting me. They have been by my side thru this long treatment. I love them so much and I couldn’t do it without them. I have so many plans and goals in life which I hope to accomplish.
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