My name is Tracy, and in November 2024, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I experienced several symptoms before my diagnosis, such as fatigue, chest pain, headaches, and weakness. It took two hospitals to finally confirm my diagnosis. Saint Vincent Providence did a bone marrow biopsy on November 6, 2024, and confirmed AML.
Sixty percent of my blood was undifferentiated myeloid cells, called blast cells. Only 20 percent of blast cells constitute a diagnosis of AML; my diagnostic data for blast cells were at 60percent. Although AML is aggressive and fast-growing, 60 percent is considered high. The protocol to kill the cancer is the initiation of 7+3 chemotherapy.
It is still difficult for me to say the word “cancer.” I was 63 years old when I was first diagnosed. I worked as a registered nurse and only knew my red blood cells were low. Going through the cancer treatment is rough; the chemotherapy drugs hurt my heart, lungs, and kidneys. I knew I needed a bone marrow transplant, so I was added to the bone marrow transplant list. I was lucky; in April 2024, I had a bone marrow transplant. I literally had to fight for my life to survive.
Currently, I am training for a half-marathon. I run and sprint every day. I also lift weights. In the beginning, I could only lift five pounds; now I can lift fifteen pounds. My hair has grown back, too. I start back to work on Wednesday, February 04, 2026. My hope is to find ways to educate people about AML and to give back.
Tracy
acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
