18 and scared - Leukemia Message Board

scaredduck02 · 01-06-2003, 06:51 AM

im 18 years old and i just found out that i have lukemia i havent told any of my friends because im scared of what they'll think how do i tell them i also want to know is this going to kill me

chitrick · 01-06-2003, 07:18 AM

What type of leukemia have you been told that you have? What stage is it in? What has your doctor told you about your treatment? I think that now days, there are many more survivors of leukemia, than there are people who lose their lives as a result. My wife has cronic lymphocytic leukemia. She's never told anybody about having it (friends or family). I had slipped when she was first diagnosed; and told some friends. My wife got very uspet about that. Her's has not yet (and may never) progressed to the fatal stage. But if it ever does, I'm sure we'd then inform those closest to us.

scaredduck02 · 01-06-2003, 12:02 PM

i have acute myelogenous leukemia it sucks because i am most worried about my boyfriend finding out or my hair falling out from chemo

chitrick · 01-06-2003, 01:33 PM

I'm sure your doctor has explained the seriousness of your illness. What has he told you to expect? As far as your boyfriend goes...if I were you, I'd fill him in on everything. At 18, I'd imagine you and he are mature enough to handle this thing together. He would be very upset if he either found out accidently or from somebody else. I don't think this is the sort of secret that you can successfully (or should even try to) keep from your boyfriend.

cs22js26 · 01-13-2003, 10:48 PM

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what they think. I have had an elevated wbc for the past 7 years. Last year my doctor sent me to a oncology doctor to run some tests. This was last April that I first went to see the oncologist on the first visit he did a ton of blood tests and did a blood smear on my cells. He said he didn't see any abnormalities well then I was happy and not too nervous anymore but he said he still wanted me to come back to do blood work for a while. He does a CBC w/diff. So I have been going back like every two months to get the blood work done and the wbc is always elevated. These are the wbc's 7/97-12.33, 9/97-10.44, 9/01-12.72, 3/02-13.13, 4/02-13.50, 8/02-16.8, 8/12/02-17.6, 8/16/02-14.9, 10/02-14.7, 11/02-21.4 and 1/03-16.4. I was really concerned when he gave me the results in August but he still said he wasn't too concerned and he was looking at other parts of the test and they were normal. Then on 11/2 I freaked out with the 21.4 and went back just last week and it went down to 16.4. My doctor said at all my appointments he didn't recommend a bone marrow biopsy at this time but he would do it to ease my mind. So on my last appointment he recommended that I get it done because he said he can tell that this is really stressing me out. I am just so scard that I have lukemia my doctor said he doesn't think so but why is my wbc never normal. Well I asked my doctor that and he said well maybe that is just you and you fall out of the statistic range. I don't feel sick, no bruises or anything like that. He does an exam on me everytime I go and he doesn't find anything either. He checks my spleen and he said that is fine too. Does this sound like lukemia with my wbc always being elevated even though it goes up and down? The wbc that is elevated is called the poly's or neutrophils I think they are the same thing. Could this just be normal for me? Is it normal for a healthy person to have an elevated wbc? My doctor doesn't act concerned at all. He can't diagnose me with anything cause he said he doesn't know why it's elevated but by doing the bone marrow I guess he can rule out cancer but without the bone marrow I don't think he can rule that out is that true? I am getting the bone marrow biopsy done in 2 weeks he said it should take about a week to get the results. I am going to be so scard waiting. I know if I do have lukemia that it must be one of the Chronic one's since my wbc doesn't go up very fast and I don't feel sick. Can you die from Chronic Lukemias? Is there a cure? Thanks for taking the time to read my post I am just really scard and need some advice.

Thanks
Crystal