Life after ALL chemo

Jwil0207
Jwil0207 Member Posts: 1
edited February 2013 in Young Cancer Survivors #1

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with ALL a month before my 26th birthday.  I was having knee pain and went to and orthopedic doctor thinking I had a sports injury.  They did a blood test to rule out lime disease and that's when they found it. I was diagnosed on a Wednesday and getting chemo by that Friday and mentally this has given me quite a beating because I was living the life of an otherwise healthy 25 year old.  

The good news is my first two rounds of chemo brought me into remission and I am now on my 4th of 8 rounds, so almost half way done!  Now that I am in remission, I am just really anxious to get back to a normal life, as I'm sure everyone is.  I was just wondering how anyone in the maintenance phase of ALL is doing.  My doctor said after the chemo is over at the end of May, I will be on oral medications for 2 years.  Is anyone at this point? How do you feel? Do you still feel fatigued?  Is your hair growing back?  

Now that I have beat the cancer, (and am just using the power of positive thinking and not even entertaining the thought that a relapse could occur) I am focusing most of my thoughts on the future when life can return to normalcy (I hope).  It is helping me cope with the next three months of treatment that lie ahead- knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  

Any info/stories/advise of anyone with ALL post chemo would be helpful!

Comments

  • diaphanous
    diaphanous Member Posts: 3 Member
    #2
    Cancer

    Well you just keep that positive attitude and it should pull you through;) My son has just celebrated his 35th birthday and has had more than one surgery, chemo, and radiation.  They will find a cure and then these kind of e-mails will be history. Wishing you all the best for your future.

  • christineharrington
    christineharrington Member Posts: 1
    #3
    It's been 13 years since I

    It's been 13 years since I completed my treatment for ALL and I don't see anything drasticly different in my life from my peers. In fact most people are suprised when I mention it (I always seem to forget who i've told and who i haven't yet so a lot of times people are thrown off when i casually throw it into a conversation). I still have to go back to see my oncologist every year and get an echocardiogram every 2, which has caused some headaches in the past with my health insurance providers but nothing that hasn't been sorted out over a few phone calls. Going back in isn't really a problem for me because I didn't really have a negative experience with it (I was 5-9 years old during treatment so at first I didn't quite grasp how cancer was kind of a unique situation, kind of like when you find out your family has weird holiday traditions no one elses does and you never realized it wasn't normal--except I guess ours was going in for chemo) but I always think its a treat to see the nurses and my doctor. They always are so excited to hear what is happening in my life and have treated every minor milestone like I just completed a marathon. It's like a yearly visit to some very enthusastic grandparents. I feel lucky to be doing what i'm doing with my life. Even at times when I'm not doing what I want. I also think the experience has made my self-opinion more resilent so that's a postive. Stay positive! You can always find one bright side or a little bit of humor. Mine is that I hate needles so I avoid them at every chance, so when someone is being overly pushy and/or trying to guilt me into a blood drive i always have "I feel horrible I can't donate but I'm in remission from cancer so I really can't" which ends the conversation of sticking needles in me quite quickly. 

     

    Good Luck & Good Vibes to you!

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