Does anyone have any positive leukaemia stories?

[Jourdain11]

By positive, I mean "went into remission and stayed healthy", and by leukaemia I'm specifically thinking of AML (but any other types too, of course).

I find that a lot of the "my experience" stories out there are depressing, even the ones which aren't supposed to be!

My cousin had leukaemia age 35 and now is 50 and completely free of if. I don't know what type she had though.

Thank you I'm glad your cousin got well and stayed well!

A friend in school was diagnosed at 14. We are in our thirties now and she has been perfectly healthy her whole adult life.

My sister was diagnosed at 4.

One year into treatment a fungus spread to her brain. She was in a coma for months and doctors recommended we unplugged her. She was blind and unable to speak when she woke up.

She’s turning 22 next week. She’s living by herself in france, in her second year of nutritional studies.

A bloody miracle! It took a stem cell transplant to get her on the way to recovery.

Oh and it was AML. Came out of freakin nowhere. One day she was fine the next she wasn’t.

Interesting! I'm glad your sister got well, what an awful thing for your family to deal with.

It just shows how interesting it can be to talk to strangers on the internet! I think pretty much everyone I heard of having cancer when I was a child did unfortunately die, and I have this sense that cancer will never truly go away - which I realise isn't reality!

A boy in my primary school had it (I'm not sure what type). The treatment worked though and he finished school and is now living a normal adult life.

My cousin was diagnosed with it when he was 7, I think it was acute leukemia if that sounds like it could be the correct term. It was a really tough time but he was fully in remission by age 10. He's 25 now and at the top of his industry. I think it's no more than a distant memory for him.

@Jourdain11 unfortunately I think you’re right in thinking it never truly goes away. Even though she’s well now, she can’t ever have kids so she recently got an egg retrieval to freeze them for later use.
The smallest things also sends her body into exhaustion mode (like a cold will have her out of it for 10 days) and she can never get her full lug capacity back (which were also affected by the fungus whilst she was in a coma).

People recover but live on with damages caused by cancer.

Someone I know had it as a teenager.

She's now 47 and has two children.

How are you feeling Jourdain ?

Has something thrown your treatment plan awry?

If so @iVampire (with a chronic leukaemia IIRC, but I haven't seen her around for a while)

A boy in my class at primary school had it when we were about 6 or 7. The treatment worked, he is a healthy adult in his 30s.

A friend got AML about 5 years ago. She had a rough 18m but as far as I know has been fine since.

I know what you mean about it not seeming to go away. Some people it does just seem to come back again and again. Its not everyone though.

I know a family where the mum was diagnosed when pregnant. Baby induced at 32 weeks so treatment could start.

She made a complete recovery and even went on to have another child who's now in DD's class.

My dad was diagnosed 14 years ago. He had apml. He’s totally fine and now has the same chance of developing leukaemia as a ‘normal’. He’s completely discharged from hospital.

If you want a light story, he got the all clear just as my boyfriend proposed. We had a HUGE wedding because everyone was ready to party by then!

A relative had it in her late teens. She is now in her 40s

Husband was diagnosed with CML over 10 years ago. Was fast tracked with chemo as they thought it was so severe (only went to the doctor for a pain in his back!). Went on to be part of a trial for a new treatment and went into complete remission about 3 years later. Will take daily meds permanently now but no side effects. No hair loss, no time off work (apart from the appointments) so very lucky really. Best wishes to anyone fighting this - it is possible to beat it x

One of my son's football team mates had it when he was 2/3. Strapping lad of 15 now, totally well and you'd never know

My god father was diagnosed in his early 40s, he wasn’t feeling well after his mum passed away so didn’t think to get it checked out for a while and then had some blood tests and they found it then. He had his treatment, though did catch a couple rough infections in that time. But is now in remission and has been for 5 years! He’s very healthy now too, he says much healthier than before as it opened his eyes to how important his health is.

@AuntieStella

How are you feeling Jourdain ?

Has something thrown your treatment plan awry?

If so @iVampire (with a chronic leukaemia IIRC, but I haven't seen her around for a while)

Not awry - I am in remission still (hopefully) but every time I have a check-up or an odd twinge or feel slightly tired, I'm fearing the worst! Somehow I just cannot imagine ever getting totally free of it.

Encouraging to hear positive stories though - thanks!

Yep. FIL (75) was diagnosed five years ago, had one course of chemo, broke his hip whilst having chemo, also has heart problems, totally clear tests ever since. Back to health. It can happen. He would not have been a candidate for stem cell transplant which lots of people have so we were lucky.

My ex sil's son was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was 8 , after weeks of his mum taking him to the doctors because he was so ill, and the doctor telling her it was a virus, they finally took her seriously when he collapsed.
He's 22 now and absolutely fine.

My friend had it as a teen, missed lots of school and although it was a very difficult period she is now 42 with no further significant health issues.

Cousin's son had it as a small child many years ago and it went into remission and never came back.

My (now 77 year old) mother had AML 14 years ago. All clear now and long discharged by the hospital - she just tires more easily than she did before, but that could also be age related…!