Leah Arora - Acute Myeloid Lukaemia (AML) - Spot Leukaemia
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2019
- "My mum was saying, 'It's fine, you just have an infection, it's fine, it's fine, they're going to fix it.' But I knew."
Leah was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) at the age of 22, but only after she made multiple visits to her GP, and an admittance from a haematologist that she was only given a blood test after crying during her appointment.
To kick-start our September #SpotLeukaemia campaign, Leah shares her story in this video.
You can read her full story on our website bit.ly/LeahArora
Find out more about our campaign at www.spotleukaemia.org.uk
We need more people like you to stand up and speak up for yourself because you know your body more than your doctor does
I am getting sick and tired of being fobbed off by GPs. I too started losing weight and had night sweats which I thought was just a long lingering effect of menopause. I'm a keen powerlifter and I suddenly became aware that doing my regular workout was getting hard. I started failing lifts which I previously did with ease. Walking to the shops and going home with a small bag of shopping entailed a rest on a couple of garden walls, I was so tired and out of breath. Absolutely ridiculous! I instinctively knew something wasn't right and telephoned GP. No appointments available (of course!) and I didn't have "shortness of breath" snapped the receptionist, "because you can still talk" but she made an appointment for me to see an emergency overflow GP practice in 2 days. Saw the doctor who thought I had menopause symptoms! (I was 65 at the time!) and ordered a full blood test. I mean really! Where do they get these people! Had to wait 5 days for a phlebotomy appointment by which time I was getting weaker. Did the blood test and was telephoned at 8am the next morning by our local teaching hospital and was told to come in NOW, no ifs or buts.
I knew what was coming when the Macmillan nurse escorted me to the consultant haematologist's room, I had cancer. It was there that they admitted me to isolation, had bone marrow biopsies, heart scans, x-rays, a whole hoopla of testing and was told I had CML in blast crisis. My feet hardly touched the ground as they started the first round of 5 days of chemo and yes it was gruelling. I picked up a fungal infection in my lungs and got admitted to ICU. 7 weeks in hospital isolation and they are still treating the fungal infection and cannot proceed until it's killed off. I'm currently at home on targeted tablet therapy (was imatinib and then changed to the stronger dasatinib to really keep a foot on the white blood cells getting out of control). So now I'm in a state of Chronic myeloid leukaemia but stable.
Apparently my "type" has been closely studied in the labs and they have even found a suitable donor which is my only chance of a cure. My hospital doctors and specialist nurse are just great.
Sorry this is so long but if you FEEL something is not right, stand your ground and insist a full blood screen.
Pray you will get fully recovered very soon🙏🙏
Thank you for sharing your story ❤️
Hope you get well soon
I always thought that AML has leucocytosis. It's actually very scary to see how much time they took in diagnosing her when in cancer everyday is precious. Why not just run a few more in depth tests to rule out cancer? I do understand most drs avoid ordering investigations unless they are very sure but in cases like these it wouldn't do much harm. And if it comes back not showing cancer, it's such a relief.
Thank you for sharing. What has happened in the past year since your diagnosis? What treatment/s have you undergone? Thank you again.
I would like to hear your updates
Hi Leah how are you
I lost my brother age 29. AML-M3 (APML). After diagnosis within one month we lost him.
I m also 29 and also suffering from AML M4.
I lost my sister at 38! AML -M6.. within 2 months we lost her..
So she didn't have any rashes and I thought it was the key symptoms. Cuz i 'm having these repetitive infections and some stomach issues and my heart pumps really fast whenever I do up and down. I had a test about one month ago it showed little high wbc count but I didn't had any cold or anything at that time so didn't thought more about it. I don't know what will be the current ongoing infection rate. I have this weird bone joint pain as well. I'm 22 as well great coincidence.
You may want to check symtoms of Lupus.
Tanking you to share, iam also leukaemia AML.
Me too.
Call me bro plx...
+917780922190
What were your symptoms plz tell?
How did you feel? What was the diagnosis like?? I'm sorry for asking, if it makes you uncomfortable you don't have to answer.
How are you now?
My only son no more dioginosed aml within two months we lost him u nder going chemotherapy how are you now please nobody going throo chemo it's not. Curable deadly disiese
You need better doctors there.
Socialized medicine 👎👎👎👎