On 8/15/2008 tonylc wrote:
Our friend Michelle has recently been diagnosed with leukemia and is now looking for a donor match. We have created grassroots teams around the country and are trying to spread the awareness for minority members to register. One of our latest ideas for our website is that we would like to create an AML survivors page, where people like you could share your story and offer words of encouragement and support for Michelle and others like her. If you are comfortable with helping, we would greatly appreciate if you could give us a brief paragraph of your battle with leukemia, send us a photo that we can publish, and answer the following set questions (feel free to answer only those questions that you are comfortable with). We will then create a page and will get your permission before publishing the page.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Team Project Michelle
PS. You can read more about her at www.projectmichelle.com
1. What is the most important thing you have learned from this experience?
2. What kept you going strong throughout the whole process?
3. Can you offer any words of encouragement to those who may have reservations about becoming a donor?
4. How long have you been cancer-free or in remission?
5. Do you have a blog you would to share with the public? (we can probably find this out on our own)
6. What was your initial reaction when your doctor told you they found a match?
7. What advice could you give to people currently with leukemia?
Hello.
I am sorry to hear about your friend. I hope that she has found a donor by now.
I was diagnosed with AML in October 2001. I had all the rounds of chemo and went into remission. Six months later it came back. I had more chemo and an autologous bone marrow transplant (I had stored by own stem cells while I was in remission, just in case). The doctors gave me my own transplant to get me by until a donor was found. Thank God a donor was found. I had my allogenic transplant in April 2003. It was a hard road to get through by God was watching over me because I got to come home about 4 weeks later and have never had to return for a hospital stay since. I have had many ups and downs since but nothing too major, or nothing that I can't handle. Two years after my transplant, my parents gave me a "2nd Birhtday" Party and flew over my donor, who was a woman from Germany, to surprise me. What an experience!! It was my strong faith in God and my family and friends that got me through everything. I do believe that one of the most important things anyone going through this can do is be positive. Even though there will be many days that you think it will never end and you'll never feel better: There Is Light At The End of The Tunnel. Be Strong and Positive!!
Then three years my husband got on the bone marrow registry. Who ever thought that he would get called, but he did. He ended up being a donor for a young 11 year old girl in Europe. This February will be two years since and we are hoping to fly to Europe and finally meet this little girl that my husband gave a new life to.
No one should ever be afraid to register with the registry. My husband said it did hurt a few days after the procedure but it was well worth it!
I will keep your friend in my prayers.