valedav's Journey with Fast Growing, Chronic Lymphocytic Leu...
Patient: Leukemia > Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) > Fast Growing
Patient Info: Finished active treatment less than 5 years ago, Diagnosed: over 10 years ago, Female, Age: 67
Get Full Access Today It’s EASY and FREE!
Things you can do
More Questions
Find us on Facebook
Experience Icon Descriptions
Procedure: Drag this icon to show a procedure.
Radiation: Drag this icon to show a specific radiation therapy experience.
Drug Therapy: Drag this icon to show a specific drug therapy experience.
Clinical Trial: Drag this icon to show a clinical trial experience.
Side Effect: Drag this icon to show experience with a specific side effect.
Oh No: Drag this icon to show when something bad happened (e.g., cancer’s back, lost job).
Celebration: Drag this icon to show when something good happened (e.g., last treatment, hair is back).
Loss: Drag this icon to show a time of loss (e.g., lost hair, lost loved one).
Decision Point: Drag this icon to show a time when you had to make a tough decision.
Other Care: Draft this icon to show a time when you needed other care (e.g., hospice, psychotherapy).
Loading...
Diagnosed
Oh No
Referral to a Hemotoligist/Oncologist after a summer believing I had mono (positive monospot) and enjoying the "license" to take a nap whenever I felt tired. A mammogram showing enlarged lymph nodes, an ultrasound showing enlarged lymph nodes and swelling in neck, and a number of blood tests showing unusual white blood cell counts all contributed to my provider's concern that I had something other than mono. To make things worse, the Oncologist office ushered me right in and started to discuss my "plan." Since I was quite sure that I only had mono, it was a shock, to say the least, to see how positive they were that I had either non-hodgkins lymphoma or leukemia. Further testing determined that that I have Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Cell Lymphocytic Lymphoma with a mutation of the chromosome 17p (deletion), which makes for an agressive cancer with a poor prognosis.
Chemotherapy
Drug or Chemo Therapy
My chemotherapy included Fludera, Cytoxan and Rituxan, or FCR. I had three days of chemo every four weeks for six sessions. Each session was followed by neupogen shots for 7 days to stimulate the manufacture of cells. I did not lose my hair, but experienced fatigue and nausea for several days after each session.
Nausea/Vomiting
Side Effects
Anti-nausea drugs injected with chemo worked great during treatment itself, however, for several days following the treatments, I experienced nausea. After the first time, I got two different types of anti-nausea pills, each working on different receptors, and the remainder of my sessions were much, much better.
Will Need Transplant
Oh No
Due to the mutation of chromosome (del 17p), my doctor told me that I would be referred to a transplant hospital at the end of my treatments as chemo would only be a short term fix. I was referred and had a thorough appointment with the recommendation that since I now feel really good I would return for preparation for a nonmyleoblative transplant once tests show the cancer ihas returned. My siblings were tested and all three of my brothersmatch. This is very unusual as approximately 70% of people do not have a sibling match.