My 2013 Journey

In the New Year of 2013 I could never quite be well. We didn’t really worry about it much because I’m never well with so many medical conditions that I hold. But this did seem to be different. I was getting colds in summer, flu like symptoms but not the flu. Infections coming left and right.

 This went on for months but as I said we didn’t really worry (we as in Gary, I and my team of Drs). Every month I have a blood tests to check full blood count, liver and kidney functions and other things the Drs need and they always came back normal.

That is until April 2013.

On the night of 30 April 2013 at 8:30 pm I got a phone call from my GP. She told me there was an anomaly with my white blood cell count and S&N (who were the group who drew my blood) had just rang her about it. She was trying to decide whether to send me to hospital that night but I told her I had a hospital appointment the next day with my Endocrinologist for the Diabetes. So she was happy to let me wait until then.

So the next morning I wasn’t concerned because I really didn’t know what it all meant. Then I got a phone call from the hospital. “Mrs Neilson could you please come in earlier than your appointment today?” So I went in early, the Endo met me at the counter and said “Toni, what are you up to this time? I’ve have been getting phone calls from your drs non-stop. We’re not  going to be looking at your diabetes today, we’re admitting you to hospital.”

Ok so now this is where I started to become worried. Apparently your White Cells have their own count but they are also broken down.  One breakdown is Neutrophils. My Neutrophils were extremely and well outside the normal count. I still didn’t understand what this actually meant other than I was more susceptible to extremely bad infections because I wouldn’t have been able to fight them off. I had no immunity.

Then I was put into an isolation room. Anyone who thought they might even have a slight cold had to be gowned and masked to visit me.

 

A Haematologist/Oncologist came and saw me and told me I would have to have a Bone Marrow Biopsy because they believed I had Leukaemia and needed to find out what type.

 Wow that blew both Gary and I out of the water.

To be continued ……..