boyfriend diagnosed with AML - Leukemia Message Board

lit123 · 05-20-2003, 06:06 PM

Hello all,
I've just discovered your message board, and it seems wonderful. My boyfriend was diagnosed with AML in April after a month and a half long experience of biopsies and taps and scans to determine the cause of the large swollen glands that appeared on his body in early March. The doctors thought HL, then NHL, and now AML.

At present, my sensitive, loving boyfriend, who is 27 years old, is receiving in-patient induction chemo, and going through hell (as expected, I know). I am finding it so difficult to go on with my life as normal as he suffers so immensely. I feel obsessed with what is happening to him; how can I become comfortable living with so much uncertainty about his (and my) future? In darker moments, reading about prognoses for this disease on the Internet has made me feel somewhat discouraged about his chances.

I would appreciate any advice that survivors or patients/ caregivers who have some experience with this disease can give me. My friends and family are being great; still, it is difficult to feel that there is no one in my position around to talk to about this shocking situation. Thank you. --Jenn

mjb54 · 05-28-2003, 03:22 PM

I understand what you are going through although it is my friend and not boyfriend or spouse with AML. My friend is at City of Hope and Duarte, CA receiving her first vial of bone marrow today. She was diagnosed in November and has gone throught the hell you are talking about. Her second dose of chemo put in her remission and a bone marrow donor was found about 2 months ago. One word of encouragement to you....my friend has a nurse who had AML and a bone marrow transplant 27 years ago and is still very much alive and treating patients going through the same thing he did. I know my friend has some very bad days ahead of her, but at least she knows there is a good possibility that this will lick it and she can go on with her life. Hope your boyfriend has the same luck she had and a bone marrow donor is found if he needs one.

amlgirl2 · 06-12-2003, 09:21 PM

So sorry to hear your boyfriend was diagnosed with this disease. When I was diagnosed in September 2001, we also were somewhat downhearted about the 40-50% prognosis (I was 15 at the time). It's been about 20 months since I was diagnosed and I'm still in a full remission. I had 7 months of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow transplant in May 2002.

lit123 · 06-16-2003, 08:59 AM

Thanks for your replies -- both of you. My boyfriend is probably going to be getting a BMT in the next month or so. Can you tell me more about what this process was like from the inside (we're hearing such scary stuff from the doctors about what this process will be like...)? How long did it take you to recover? I know you have to be isolated from germs for a long time even after you return home from the hospital. But, when did you remember starting to feel a little bit better after your BMT? How are you feeling now? I am so glad to hear you are doing well and still in remission.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much,
Jenn

lit123 · 06-16-2003, 09:00 AM

Thanks for your replies -- both of you. My boyfriend is probably going to be getting a BMT in the next month or so. Can you tell me more about what this process was like from the inside (we're hearing such scary stuff from the doctors about what this process will be like...)? How long did it take you to recover? I know you have to be isolated from germs for a long time even after you return home from the hospital. But, when did you remember starting to feel a little bit better after your BMT? How are you feeling now? I am so glad to hear you are doing well and still in remission.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much,
Jenn