Leukemia is type of cancer that is very hard to understand I thought I would give you some information and links to further help you with anything else you do not understand.
I hope this post will help you with anything you may need to help someone who has i.t being a loved one , friend or someone you know. showing you care is the first step !
Leukemia is cancer that starts in the tissue then it starts to make blood. Normal blood cells start in the bone marrow called stem cells. There are different kinds of cells all of them do different things. White blood cells fight of infections, red blood cells carries oxygen and palettes help from blood cells. Your body makes these cells from the stem cells in your body. When you have leukemia your bone marrow makes odd white cells these odd cells are leukemia. Leukemia cells do not die off and reproduce like normal cells do like after you get sick. These cells crowed out normal blood cells and make it harder for them to come back.
There are different types of leukemia I know it sounds like there is only one.
Chronic – you may not show the first few symptoms. Slowly chronic leukemia gets worse as the blood cells get bigger, people with symptoms like swollen lymph nodes or infections.
Acute - these cells do not do anything normal cells can do. The cells increase and you get worse fast.
Acute lymphocytic - affects the lymphoid cells.
Some ways that might have caused leukemia
Radiation
diagnostic x rays
smoking
chemotherapy
family history
Symptoms of leukemia
Fevers or night sweats
Constant infection
Weak or tired
bleeding and easy bruising (bleeding gums, red spots under skin, purple patches)
Swelling or discomfort in your abdomen.
Weigh loss no reason
Pain in joints or bones.
Treatment –
When it comes to leukemia even though it is a bad type of cancer there are a lot of treatment options. These are some questions you might want to ask about leukemia.
Stem transplant
chemotherapy
targeted therapy
biological therapy
Chemo – in woman this treatment might damage ovaries, give irregular periods or might not have any periods. Woman who wants to have kids beforehand should talk about ways you can do so without hurting your ovaries with treatment.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before you begin treatment:
· What type of leukemia do I have? How do I get a copy of the report from the pathologist?
· What are my treatment choices? Which do you recommend for me? Why?
· Will I have more than one kind of treatment? How will my treatment change over time?
· What are the expected benefits of each kind of treatment?
· What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment? What can we do to control the side effects?
· What can I do to prepare for treatment?
· Will I need to stay in the hospital? If so, for how long?
· What is the treatment likely to cost? Will my insurance cover the cost?
· How will treatment affect my normal activities?
· Would a clinical trial be right for me? Can you help me find one?
· How often should I have checkups?
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or biological therapy:
· Which drugs will I get? What will the treatment do?
· Should I see my dentist before treatment begins?
· When will treatment start? When will it end? How often will I have treatments?
· Where will I go for treatment? Will I have to stay in the hospital?
· What can I do to take care of myself during treatment?
· How will we know the treatment is working?
· Will I have side effects during treatment? What side effects should I tell you about? Can I prevent or treat any of these side effects?
· Can these drugs cause side effects later on?
· How often will I need checkups?
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having radiation therapy:
· Why do I need this treatment?
· When will the treatments begin? How often will they be given? When will they end?
· How will I feel during treatment? Will I be able to continue my normal activities during treatment?
· Will there be side effects? How long will they last?
· Can radiation therapy cause side effects later on?
· What can I do to take care of myself during treatment?
· How will we know if the radiation treatment is working?
· How often will I need checkups?
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having a stem cell transplant:
- What kind of stem cell transplant will I have? If I need a donor, how will we find one?
- How long will I be in the hospital? Will I need special care? How will I be protected from germs? Will my visitors have to wear a mask? Will I?
- What care will I need when I leave the hospital?
- How will we know if the treatment is working?
- What are the risks and the side effects? What can we do about them?
- What changes in normal activities will be necessary?
- What is my chance of a full recovery? How long will that take?
- How often will I need checkups?
·
Eating healthy and exercise is a big part of staying healthy and follow up care is also important.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions after you have finished treatment:
· How often will I need checkups?
· Which follow-up tests do you suggest for me?
· Between checkups, what health problems or symptoms should I tell you about?
All of these options are all depending on your age, type of leukemia, if you have leukemia cells in your cerebrospinal fluid.
Your doctor depending on the symptoms can suggest or prescribe certain treatment options. Like a specialist or go to a clinic that specialises in leukemia. If you have chronic leukemia then it is best to go and get treatment as soon as possible. The most important thing about choosing a treatment option knows your side effects. Last but not least stay calm . have lots of support around you even if not family members and positive it will take time though you will fight it and have a happy life.
Support from professionals -National Cancer Institute Information Resources
Telephone: 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
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