I have acute myeloid leukemia (AML). My doctor printed off some reading material for me to...read. It's a fun way to pass the time here. If you google AML you'll get all kinds of information, but since I don't have anything better to do, I'll give you the basics.
AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow cells. Blood is made in the bone marrow, and with AML, the bone marrow cells start spitting out immature cells that can't really do the work of a regular blood cell. As the cancer spreads, you get more blasts, and they start to crowd out the normal blood cells. And then you don't have enough blood and start feeling tired and sick and weak. And then you die.
AML spreads quickly apparently. If you don't treat it quickly and aggressively, death within months is a thing. Within the umbrella of AML, there are different genetic mutations that delineate sub-types. The specific mutation you have will tell you a lot about what kind of treatment you will get and what your odds of survival are.
I am still waiting to hear the results of my genetic testing; it will take a couple weeks to get that back. When it does come back, I'll know what risk group I'm in. There are three such groups:
Favorable risk: these people continue to get treated with chemo after the initial phase and have the best odds of staying in remission. They don't get a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant.
Intermediate risk: this is the majority of people with AML. These people will eventually have a stem cell transplant after some rounds of chemo.
Unfavorable risk: These people head toward bone marrow transplant, and unfortunately the odds are against them in terms of long-term survival.
I keep hearing that my age and general health is working in my favor at this point. A lot of AML patients are older men. So my fingers are crossed that I will fall into the favorable group.
Show of hands: who here considers themselves to be "in the favorable group"?
AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow cells. Blood is made in the bone marrow, and with AML, the bone marrow cells start spitting out immature cells that can't really do the work of a regular blood cell. As the cancer spreads, you get more blasts, and they start to crowd out the normal blood cells. And then you don't have enough blood and start feeling tired and sick and weak. And then you die.
AML spreads quickly apparently. If you don't treat it quickly and aggressively, death within months is a thing. Within the umbrella of AML, there are different genetic mutations that delineate sub-types. The specific mutation you have will tell you a lot about what kind of treatment you will get and what your odds of survival are.
I am still waiting to hear the results of my genetic testing; it will take a couple weeks to get that back. When it does come back, I'll know what risk group I'm in. There are three such groups:
Favorable risk: these people continue to get treated with chemo after the initial phase and have the best odds of staying in remission. They don't get a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant.
Intermediate risk: this is the majority of people with AML. These people will eventually have a stem cell transplant after some rounds of chemo.
Unfavorable risk: These people head toward bone marrow transplant, and unfortunately the odds are against them in terms of long-term survival.
I keep hearing that my age and general health is working in my favor at this point. A lot of AML patients are older men. So my fingers are crossed that I will fall into the favorable group.
Show of hands: who here considers themselves to be "in the favorable group"?
Favorable or not, Sarah, in my crystal ball you get to become an 'older' woman like me!
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