Personal Narrative: How A Bone Marrow Transplantation

Sometimes I ask myself how I overcame my disease. Many people with lupus experience fatigue, memory loss, loss of appetite. Usually younger African, white, and Asian men and woman develop that disease in their teens. It all started that night when I was laying in my mom bed. At that time I felt like it was my time to leave this earth. When I turn 15 years old I saw so many changes. . I experience so many symptoms while I was in my second semester. All the symptoms that I experience were hallucinations, fever, nausea, and nose bleeds. At that time I seen myself getting really sick. I caught strep throat and it was hard to focus in school because I missed so many days.

I sat at the kitchen counter, staring at the green cabinets and bowls of fruit. I wanted to play in tonight’s soccer game, but my mind was still foggy from the drugs I received in the hospital the day before. I didn’t want my teammates to see me like this. My hair was matted from where my head rubbed against the blue hospital pillow, and a wrinkled piece of clear tape secured a nasal feeding tube onto my cheek. I hated what the tube meant: that I was inadequate and that I couldn’t drink by myself. I was someone who insisted on doing everything on my own, and the thin, flexible tube was a physical reminder that I could not. My mom and dad lauded my bravery, but I dismissed them. I didn’t believe bravery was dictated by necessity.

Being a cancer survivor presents many persistent challenges. Despite those challenges, I graduated high school with honors. Hope for an uncertain future comes in part from the salvation I find in being a college student.

Living with cancer is an enormous challenge, and most of us are encouraged to try coping skills like yoga, meditation and patient support groups. While I have found several techniques helpful, expressive writing has been surprisingly therapeutic for me. This seemed to come out of nowhere. I had published journal articles, book chapters and scientific papers during my career. I had even written a few simple rhymes for social occasions and business functions, but I had never considered doing any creative writing before cancer struck. My cancer adventure began early in 2014 when a large tumor was discovered in my head and neck. This explained my recent hearing loss and the jaw pain I had felt for some time. It was an advanced, high-grade cancer,

To be an excellent leader and citizen, in my opinion, you need to display passion, drive and encouragement. That is exactly what I tried to achieve while I was a trainer at Culver’s, volunteering at Red Cross Blood Drives and with the Clover Kids. I also tried to display my passion to be a leader and a good citizen when I would bring my race car to Sunshine Learning Center Daycare in Menomonie, WI for race car day.

Blank Blood poured from my wrist, Streaming down as I pulse my fist. Swallowed the pain and tore the skin, Used my old blood stained pin. Black blood poured to the floor, Cry and screaming, slashing for more.

I was born on November 15th, 2001 at 11:15am, I always thought it was cool how my birthday and the time I was born match. I barely remember much of my childhood. My earliest memory was smashing my head into a concrete flower pot, I was a toddler and the path I was walking on was cobblestone. A deadly combination. My mom said the bump on my head looked identical to the ones you see in cartoons and she jokes about how that accident totally messed up my brain. We’ve always been close, back in 2010 she was diagnosed with Leukemia and the way I found out wasn’t exactly ideal, it’s alright though because I really didn’t know what any of it meant at the time, I didn’t cry and went about my normal 8 year old life, she’s in remission now which is unbelievable

He almost lost his life, but he never lost his smile. My baby brother, Cameryn, came into this world August 27, 2009, and we immediately knew something was wrong. We just didn’t know quite what. Four months later, he ends up in Iowa city. His whole body red and drenched in sweat. No one had any idea why he looked like this. So Cameryn and my step mom, Amber, were rushed onto a plane, and sent to Cincinnati, Ohio. Once they arrived, the doctors found that he possessed an extreme sickness with no immune system to fight it off. BMT, bone marrow transplant took place next. After that, he still held that sickness inside of his tiny little body. We then accepted that we may not have much time left with him. The doctor then told us that they knew

As a young girl, I dreamed of growing up and becoming many different things. I wanted to be a princess, a journalist, and even a forensic pathologist. But during the summer of 2012, all of those dreams floated away and my life was forever changed. That summer, I got the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham. I held several positions during my time there. I entertained children in the clinic waiting rooms and helped patients and their families navigate around the hospital. But my absolute favorite place to be was the oncology clinic. There, I met a young girl with leukemia who would come in for treatment during my volunteer shift. She was the happiest little human that I had ever come in contact with.

I woke up in a dark, rocky shelving in a Walmart, stained with some sort of red substance… It was dry and felt oddly sticky. I assumed it must be blood. Curious, I grab a chunk of the red substance and started chewing on it. As grotesque as it looked, I enjoyed the taste. After some more chewy bites, I soon started to realize that it is not blood. It is in fact, expired beans. Quickly, I spit the beans out and contemplate my life choices.

When I was 6 years old I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. I was taking chemotherapy ever since but the doctors told my mom that there was a risk for me not to walk again or the cancer to go away well I’m a cancer survivor now. Although I can’t walk I have been in a wheelchair ever since my legs are very

The best scientific breakthrough would absolutely be a cure for cancer. Many families would be spared from the pain, and grief that cancer causes. In addition, curing cancer also has a significant meaning to me. My mom had endometrial cancer and without her, I would not be the man I am today. My first real experience with cooking was with my mom. It was a cold, crisp night in December. My parents were making breakfast for dinner while I was sitting on the carpet watching the Falcons game. Engrossed in the game, I heard my mom yell " Come here, tonight you learn how to make bacon and eggs." Hearing the words bacon and eggs, I jumped up instantly and sprinted downstairs into the kitchen. On the counter I was fascinated by the assortment of stainless

We have made it to Alcove Springs!! It’s a beautiful place lots of trees, water, and animals, it was just so calming and peaceful. We camp out here for two days and at night we have these little entertainment parties so we aren't to bored. We had a big dance out in the dark and everybody was just so happy, kids playing and dancing with each other and the music was just so wonderful. The only bad thing about this place is all the mosquitoes, poor little Hazel and Juniper are all bit up and itchy. Just terrible but eventually we are leaving so it will be okay and we will get over it.

I step into the recovery room and hear the steady beep of the vitals machine. My bone marrow donor is wide awake and sitting up in bed; he is in recovery following his marrow stem cell donation. I immediately notice his beaming smile, a sharp contrast to the drab hospital room and a remarkable reaction considering all he has been through that morning. I sit down and speak to him to assess his health and ensure he is recovering as expected. His first question for me is not about his own health, but the health of another patient to whom he has been willing to donate, a person he doesn’t know, has never met, and may never even have the opportunity to communicate with depending on where they are being treated. I assure him that his donated cells have been processed and transported successfully, but we will not know anything specific about the recovery of his recipient for about another 30 days. He relaxes his body back slightly on the hospital bed and continues to smile. I haven’t told him anything he doesn’t already know, yet a sense of fulfillment seems to wash over and emanate from him. His contentment is infectious.

I am working with the design group. Our goal as a team was to find ways to get many people to donate blood by advertising such as posters, flyers, and social media. I have also done research for my group. Two weeks before the blood drive all of the groups will pass out flyers and poster. Working with the design groups reflects back on my strengths because I use all five of my strengths such as communicating with one another. How we can get people to come by the blood drive? I had a great desire to learn about one another that was in the design group. The One Blood Drive has been great. Our team was very organized. Working with one another was very challenging because everyone had different logos they want to use. So that was very challenging.