Patient: Adult

I was diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia (ET) in May 2014 after a TIA at the age of 55. I was prescribed 81mg of aspirin until my platelets reached one million. At that time, I began treatment with 500mg hydroxyurea and aspirin. I am now 66 and in the best shape of my life.

My story began in 2006 when I ran my first marathon, and it was with Team In Training (TNT) during Disney Marathon Weekend. Little did I know at that time that my husband, who is a lymphoma survivor, would be diagnosed with lymphoma in August 2020 during the pandemic. He survived six months of chemotherapy and 12 treatments of radiation.

In March 2020, I went through something I hoped would be my final battle with cancer — an autologous stem cell transplant after being diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). 

When I was 16 years old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I had previously been on track to graduate early, I was just cast in a play, a member of DECA, GSA, the improv team, and Key Club. So, all of that went away. I had to leave school immediately and drop out of all of it, including the play and all the clubs I was in.

I had breast cancer 13 years ago at age 30. I had a double mastectomy and four rounds of chemotherapy. I didn't know that the treatments for breast cancer put me at risk for developing leukemia. But I have since learned that leukemia secondary to breast cancer, while rare (0.5%), does exist. 

It started with a stiff neck. Then came fatigue and a sore throat. I started feeling full after only a few bites of food. Workouts were getting more difficult to complete. My heart rate was consistently north of 100 just lying in bed. Rationalized. It's maybe strep. Could be mono. I prescribed myself antibiotics and popped ibuprofen. Nothing was working.

In 2022, I was diagnosed with skin cancer, mycosis fungoides with large cell transformation, a form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). They treated it with a chemo gel. In 2022, I had an 18-wheeler accident. Someone hit me, causing my big rig to flip over. It slid three lanes across the highway, and I had a couple of minor injuries. 

My name is Angelia, and I’m a mother, entrepreneur, and the founder of Hope Magazine. In July 2024, after nearly two years of unexplained symptoms and unanswered questions, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).