Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) Support Group
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), also known as acute myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells. Patients with AML usually present with symptoms such as fatigue, bleeding, infection, prompting medical attention. An abnormal blood test reading will then result in further testing in a hospital with a hematologist to determine AML.
Maybe a little long, but I hope it will hep others.... and myself !
April 2011: I started a weight loss routine, including diet. 25 pounds to take off. As time went by, I lost weight very, very slowly. Doctor though I was cheating on diet. So, he sent me to have some exercise.
I started exercising at the gym and feeling GREAT. Set my favorite machine at 900 calories each session. I lost 18 pounds in 3 months this way. I stopped doing exercise; I stopped loosing weight.... Exercising never EVER made me tired.
In late july, after doing some craft work sitting in a bad posittion, my ribs started to hurt. Specially at night. While sleeping, I felt like I had to hold my chest. Like when you had a strong cough. I took some medication and it went away. By mid august, I had pain in my elbow. Doctor said it was "tennis elbow". Pain releiver given. Pain went out.
The doctor in charge of my weight had indicated glucose, T3, T4 and THS to check my thyroid and see if something was making so difficult to loose weight.
And here comes the story.....
I august 27, 2011, Iwent to the lab to take those tests, and the lady in charge of making the order told me "are you going to have a hemogram? (blood count)?". I said "No. I dont need it". She said "how long has it been since you did the last one". I: "Cant remember. Im very healthy". She went again "Why dont you have one". I went back "NO. I dont need it, Doctor didnt order it". She kept on "Its the same blood extraction. and its cheap. Why dont you take it any way?" and I continue....."NO"....
Conversation continued this way. I was starting to get tired of the lady, so...... to get rid of her, and also listening to than low inner voice saying "go do it. no big deal".... I accepted to have the blood count test.
Result came by email and I noticed my white cells where 12,500. Hemoglobin 12, patlets 180,000 or 210,000. So... I though I had an urinary infection (usual on my during all my adult life.) I also noticed that my lymphocytes were out or range (86%) and also neutrophils (14%) but I though it was due to infection..... and I told myself "You need some urine tests.... I will take them next saturday so I dont have to ask for permission at work ( I had started a new job ten days before).
But I forget to...... Remember that in Central America, you dont need a medical doctor to get lab tests. I hated "loosing my time" in doctors offices so I usually did things my way :(
In October 4, I decided to go and get those urine tests. At that time I was still exercising but not so usual. I didnt feel anything wrong.
My urine tests showed an infection which might be treated (as usual) with Cyrpoxine. So... I made my numbers.... One Cypro 500 mg every 12 hours for 5 to 8 days..... and decided to go to the drugstore to buy them. Drugstores can sell antibiotics without medical prescription here.....
But.... suddenly, that low, inner voice inside told me: "You have a private health insurance that never use. Cypro is expensive ! Dont be silly.... go to see "Juan" (my family doctor) and ask to sign the insurance papers....
So I made an appointmen this Dr. Juan, took the urine tests with me, and... dont ask how.... I also took the blood test with me..... As I sat In front of him, I handeld the tests including the blood one, and told him "Juan, I need you to sing the papers so I dont want to pay for the medicine....:"
Juan made the physical exam, and then asked me why I had a blood test. I told the whole story. Then, he said he wanted me to repeat it. "Why?" I asked. "Because I think there is a typing mistake. It usually happens in labs. You look very very healthy and I want to make sure...."
So, I went back to the lab and repeated the test, October 10. They sent the results by email, and when I opened it.... I almost die from the shock: 26,500 white cells. Red cells and patlets were normal..... Since that very moment I knew what It was. I cant say who horrified I was. My mom had died 16 months ago from stomach cancer. My father, 84, was still in mourning... my sons still needed me.... IT COULDN BE REAL !!!!
One hour later the hemathologist (who is also an oncologist) said it seemed to be a lymphoma, but he needed to make some tests, and since he was traveling next day, we would wait for the BMB four or five days. He order many tests and ultrasonographies from every single place. They were all clear !!! The last test was flow cytometry which would be done outside my country, since no private nor public lab does it here, and with my BMB material.
October 19: Doctor calls home and tells us to go to his office 3 hours ahead than schedulled. Oh Oh.... it smelled fishy ! I noticed his face was not the same than before.... and there he said: its AML.
I started treatment Oct 26. In Nov 3 I got fever and a "pseudomembranous colitis" and "megatoxic colon" were on the way.... Stayed 20 days at the hospital. But when follow up BMB came..... I was in remission ! Blood counts were normal again. I remember very well my docs face: his eyes were like shining and had a big smile in his face.
I still remember those days. Sometimes I feel that horrible shock coming to me. That being like a zombie. That feeling of being already dead in life, without notice, like a bad joke. But then, again, I thank God for that lady in the lab who kept insisting in my hemogram.... like if she was my guardian angel.
Sorry to write so much, but I needed to.... Ive beed so lucky... Im quite sure God wants me alive.
Love U all
April 2011: I started a weight loss routine, including diet. 25 pounds to take off. As time went by, I lost weight very, very slowly. Doctor though I was cheating on diet. So, he sent me to have some exercise.
I started exercising at the gym and feeling GREAT. Set my favorite machine at 900 calories each session. I lost 18 pounds in 3 months this way. I stopped doing exercise; I stopped loosing weight.... Exercising never EVER made me tired.
In late july, after doing some craft work sitting in a bad posittion, my ribs started to hurt. Specially at night. While sleeping, I felt like I had to hold my chest. Like when you had a strong cough. I took some medication and it went away. By mid august, I had pain in my elbow. Doctor said it was "tennis elbow". Pain releiver given. Pain went out.
The doctor in charge of my weight had indicated glucose, T3, T4 and THS to check my thyroid and see if something was making so difficult to loose weight.
And here comes the story.....
I august 27, 2011, Iwent to the lab to take those tests, and the lady in charge of making the order told me "are you going to have a hemogram? (blood count)?". I said "No. I dont need it". She said "how long has it been since you did the last one". I: "Cant remember. Im very healthy". She went again "Why dont you have one". I went back "NO. I dont need it, Doctor didnt order it". She kept on "Its the same blood extraction. and its cheap. Why dont you take it any way?" and I continue....."NO"....
Conversation continued this way. I was starting to get tired of the lady, so...... to get rid of her, and also listening to than low inner voice saying "go do it. no big deal".... I accepted to have the blood count test.
Result came by email and I noticed my white cells where 12,500. Hemoglobin 12, patlets 180,000 or 210,000. So... I though I had an urinary infection (usual on my during all my adult life.) I also noticed that my lymphocytes were out or range (86%) and also neutrophils (14%) but I though it was due to infection..... and I told myself "You need some urine tests.... I will take them next saturday so I dont have to ask for permission at work ( I had started a new job ten days before).
But I forget to...... Remember that in Central America, you dont need a medical doctor to get lab tests. I hated "loosing my time" in doctors offices so I usually did things my way :(
In October 4, I decided to go and get those urine tests. At that time I was still exercising but not so usual. I didnt feel anything wrong.
My urine tests showed an infection which might be treated (as usual) with Cyrpoxine. So... I made my numbers.... One Cypro 500 mg every 12 hours for 5 to 8 days..... and decided to go to the drugstore to buy them. Drugstores can sell antibiotics without medical prescription here.....
But.... suddenly, that low, inner voice inside told me: "You have a private health insurance that never use. Cypro is expensive ! Dont be silly.... go to see "Juan" (my family doctor) and ask to sign the insurance papers....
So I made an appointmen this Dr. Juan, took the urine tests with me, and... dont ask how.... I also took the blood test with me..... As I sat In front of him, I handeld the tests including the blood one, and told him "Juan, I need you to sing the papers so I dont want to pay for the medicine....:"
Juan made the physical exam, and then asked me why I had a blood test. I told the whole story. Then, he said he wanted me to repeat it. "Why?" I asked. "Because I think there is a typing mistake. It usually happens in labs. You look very very healthy and I want to make sure...."
So, I went back to the lab and repeated the test, October 10. They sent the results by email, and when I opened it.... I almost die from the shock: 26,500 white cells. Red cells and patlets were normal..... Since that very moment I knew what It was. I cant say who horrified I was. My mom had died 16 months ago from stomach cancer. My father, 84, was still in mourning... my sons still needed me.... IT COULDN BE REAL !!!!
One hour later the hemathologist (who is also an oncologist) said it seemed to be a lymphoma, but he needed to make some tests, and since he was traveling next day, we would wait for the BMB four or five days. He order many tests and ultrasonographies from every single place. They were all clear !!! The last test was flow cytometry which would be done outside my country, since no private nor public lab does it here, and with my BMB material.
October 19: Doctor calls home and tells us to go to his office 3 hours ahead than schedulled. Oh Oh.... it smelled fishy ! I noticed his face was not the same than before.... and there he said: its AML.
I started treatment Oct 26. In Nov 3 I got fever and a "pseudomembranous colitis" and "megatoxic colon" were on the way.... Stayed 20 days at the hospital. But when follow up BMB came..... I was in remission ! Blood counts were normal again. I remember very well my docs face: his eyes were like shining and had a big smile in his face.
I still remember those days. Sometimes I feel that horrible shock coming to me. That being like a zombie. That feeling of being already dead in life, without notice, like a bad joke. But then, again, I thank God for that lady in the lab who kept insisting in my hemogram.... like if she was my guardian angel.
Sorry to write so much, but I needed to.... Ive beed so lucky... Im quite sure God wants me alive.
Love U all
So you had chemo in November 2011? Did you have more than one round? What was your treatment? Did you have a Bone Marrow Transplant?
How are you now?
Abby2
I had 2 induction rounds and then 4 consolidation with MASSIVE Citarabine (Ara-C). Wow ! Tons of it. Last chemo was mid April 2011.
No Abby. no BMT. By the time being, back to the same job, full time job, from 7:30 am through 5:00 pm from Mon through Fri. Im fine but usually very low energy. Two weeks ago doctor found reactive hypoglicemia and now on diet and trying to loose 30 pounds. Hate exercising.... but have to start.
So Im back to almost normal life. I say "almost" since my lack of energy makes me take it slowly, no social life, I need to sleep and rest a lot.
Tanya
I dont know how many blasts I had but doctor told me I was officially in remission. All my blood counts became normal since that moment. My doctor said that I had a "precious" bone marrow and he was quite happy.
After second induction he told me I had no blasts at all, though he told me less than 5% of blast is considered normal.
Also, I had 3 rounds of high dose Ara-C (Cytarabine), and not 4 as is done in many countries. Here 3 is the standard practice. And another thing is that consolidation chemo is done here fully as in-patient, so I was hospitalized for the chemo, and until my counts recovered (3-4 weeks at a time)