AIBU?
to ask, during blood cancer awareness month. if people know the symptoms?
iVampire · 23/09/2018 23:00
Without googling?
Because there are many forms of leukaemias, lymphomas and myelomas, so individually they are each rare cancers. But together, they are in the top 5 commonest, and leukaemia is one of the commonest cancers in children,
September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and yesterday was World Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Day. Those events have been much on my mind,
And just led me to wonder - do you know the symptoms?
sprinkleofno · 23/09/2018 23:10
Educated guess (kind of)
Bruising
Tiredness
Bleeding gums
Aaarrrggghh · 23/09/2018 23:11
Nope. Massive health anxiety here too so I'm not going to Google. employs CBT methods to stop the Google
BuntyII · 23/09/2018 23:14
No but I've just googled it and now I can convince myself DS has leukaemia every time he has a bruise or gets the cold. Cheers OP 👍🏻
Sugarplumfairy65 · 23/09/2018 23:14
Yes. I have indolent,follicular non Hodgkins lymphoma. Sometimes though, there are no signs
Languageofkindness · 23/09/2018 23:15
I imagine bruising and extreme tiredness and also maybe weight loss (but also that all of those symptoms can be something else and that sometimes there are no symptoms until it is way advanced). Off too google
AsAProfessionalFekko · 23/09/2018 23:25
Dad had no signs whatsoever though and it was only picked up when he had a blood test for something else.
MonoClue · 23/09/2018 23:29
My daughter had Acute Lympoblastic Leukaemia and even the doctor missed the symptoms for 2 months. He kept giving her painkillers for a pulled muscle. It was the practice nurse who spotted something wasn’t right and arranged blood tests.
Aaarrrggghh · 23/09/2018 23:44
@BuntyII
No but I've just googled it and now I can convince myself DS has leukaemia every time he has a bruise or gets the cold. Cheers OP
This. One million times over!
MonoClue · 23/09/2018 23:53
@AsAProfessionalFekko
Fingers crossed 🤞. She’s still having checks every 3 months.
CurlyhairedAssassin · 24/09/2018 00:04
Unfortunatel yes because my mum has leukaemia, recently diagnosed. I already knew the symptoms before she had the blood tests at the GP. What I DIDN’T realise was how quickly it can come on.
And that as soon as it is suspected, that’s it, it’s straight to hospital and in you stay for weeks and weeks of treatment. And that’s only the first part. It’s gruelling and harsh, the treatment, much worse than with a cancer like breast cancer with an actual lump of a tumour to deal with. Multiple blood transfusions and platelets, antibiotics, antifungals, paracetamol before you even get to the chemo. The list is endless.
I also didn’t know that it’s rare in adults and much harder to treat in older patients.
I didnt know therr were so many types and subtypes. And so many tests to determine the type.
It’s been a learning curve. Not in a good way.
CurlyhairedAssassin · 24/09/2018 00:07
Mono. 
It’s hard enough seeing an adult go through this. But your child.....
Although I do know that the success rate of treatment in children is really high these days so it all sounds good for your DD.
MonoClue · 24/09/2018 01:03
My daughter is in her 20’s so not a child (still my child though).
Like a PP said the treatment is full on straight away. It’s horrific and debilitating. The cure nearly killed her 3 times-sepsis induced seizures and a brain hemorrhage.
We lost count of the blood and platelet transfusions. She had 6 sessions of her chemo via epidural then when her initial treatment was finished she had to undergo more chemo and radiation therapy before having a stem cell transplant. All in she was in hospital for a little over a year
Zoflorabore · 24/09/2018 01:11
Yes unfortunately.
Fil passed away last year from ALL which is quite rare in adults. He had actually beaten the disease and was in remission but something was missed and he died very suddenly.
I read that there are over 120 types of blood cancer. Scary thought. I saw it on a bus stop advertisement.
Thoughts to those currently affected
iVampire · 24/09/2018 06:47
Can I just point out that I have leukaemia
Some kinds are more treatable than others, but all of them have s better prognosis if spotted early.
Now, if you don’t want to know, that’s fine. People with health anxiety perhaps should avoid knowing the symptoms of many conditions.
I apologise to those that this has been triggering for.
But turning to those who don’t have anxiety, do you know? Do you think it’s one where you should?
iVampire · 24/09/2018 06:49
to those with afflicted loved ones.
Some treatment regimes are brutal, others less so especially if diagnosed before it accelerates
TheLionRoars1110 · 24/09/2018 06:52
I'm sorry OP and hope the treatment goes well.
I've googled them, thanks. They seem quite difficult to spot...
AuntieStella · 24/09/2018 06:54
I only knew because it happened to pop up in a tweet I saw recently (wonder if that was to do with the awareness month?)
Rather worryingly, it also said that not all doctors knew - a bit like Monoclue's experience - so I hope MNers who are HCPs are amongst the well-informed.
(I knew about bruising, none of the others)
pilates · 24/09/2018 07:11
Sorry to hear that op. I would have thought bruising and tiredness. If you could share the symptoms it would be appreciated. It might help someone reading this.
redsummershoes · 24/09/2018 07:15
my aunt just had a headcold that didn't go away.
she's fine now, luckily.
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