May 13th 2008, my entire life up and till this point had been all to boring, everything had gone as planned and I never had to worry about much. While in the shower that morning I noticed a lump on my chest, I thought nothing of it and went about my day. Three days later, I was sitting in a doctor’s office awaiting answers on what was causing the stiff and sore lumps. The doctor told me he had no clue what caused the bumps and that I had bigger problems. My blood tests were poor and show a rapid infection in my blood stream, something was killing my immune system from the inside out. He speculated that the bumps could be an immediate reaction from the infection and hypothesized the symptom’s would worsen, rapidly! After the conversation I was left speechless, I didn’t understand how a seven-year study in med school could leave this so called doctor with no possible clue or explanation as to what was wrong with me. With no hope and even less for answers I sought out a second opinion
June 13th 2008, My birthday usually was a joyous occasion but after much debate I decided that my 21st birthday would be the best time to sit my family down as collective and let them know exactly what was wrong with me. I had gone to two hospitals and they couldn’t tell me exactly was was wrong, they only the were able to tell me was that my health was rapidly deteriorating and the outlook wasn’t good. Finally I had gone to The Cleveland Clinic for a Bone marrow Biopsy, The biopsy had confirmed that I had Acute Myeloid Leukemia, A rare blood disease that attacks the immune system. The outlook on survival was gloomy; I had a 1 in 10 chance of successfully going through treatment and being cured of the disease. As I told my family I could see the outpour of emotion amongst all in the room. They were devastated and I was in awe. I mean how could I go from being perfectly fine to having cancer. The idea of death was never a thought before and now it was moment-to-moment thought, persistent with the worse after effects, saddened, lost, vulnerable, and angry. I left then moments after telling them and went on with my day wondering what this unforgiving disease would bring and if I could tolerate it.
July 5th 2008, I was at a friend’s house for a fourth Of July party, when I started to feel really ill. It was 98 degrees outside and I was shivering cold, going into the 4th of July weekend I knew it would be one of the last time I would get to actually hangout with the majority of my friends. Sadly enough it was cut short! I immediately went into the bed room and laid down, I felt as if my body was shoved into a freezing lake. Today I realize my bodies’ equilibrium was giving out, I had no clue what to make of it then. After 3 hours of freezing body chills, I called my mother and told her we needed to rush to the emergency room. By the time I got to the emergency room I was zoning in and out barely focusing on anything in front of me, I could tell the end was near. After 7 days in the emergency room under round-the-clock observation the doctors informed that I wouldn’t be going home, there next course of action was
