I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on November 6, 2017. I was transported to the James Cancer Hospital and immediately placed in a medically induced coma for several weeks. I was given intense chemotherapy with little hope that I would survive. Luckily for me, I did survive and was sent to Dodd Hall where I would learn to walk, talk, think, and swallow without asphyxiating myself. After two long months in the hospital, I went home in January of 2018 to fatten up and get strong enough for my stem cell transplant. In February of 2018, I received my cells from my donor, my oldest son, and spent another month at the James. I made it 14 months post-transplant before I had my first relapse on Mother's Day weekend of 2019. Following another month in the hospital, I began a 19-month clinical trial and unfortunately relapsed for the second time on December 8, 2020. I began a new treatment protocol in January of 2021 and am currently in remission and so proud and thankful to say that I am alive!
I have participated in the HOPE program at the James as a patient and am currently serving as a guide for three fellow cancer patients. I believe that together we can beat this horrific disease one day at a time.
Debbie
acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
