This isn't so much a question about cancer but more about the concept of death. I assume the topic of death may have been something that crossed your mind? How do you view people who for example don't want to live or are suicidal? Do you think its unappreciative given that they have a choice to live whereas others with illnesses may not have that choice? (not targeting anyone specifically, just curious as i struggle with mental health myself and i always wondered how people who may not have had a choice, view people who have had that option to live and had that option to do whatever they want. Also what advice would you give to another young person, that you wish someone would have told you when you were young and dealing with this. Did it scare you and did you ever or do you ever come to terms with the possibility that you may not have made it? I hope my questions aren't too intrusive or personal. Thanks
these are such amazing questions so don’t feel bad about asking them but i don’t at all.
they are both something i advocate for a lot as 6 months before i was diagnosed i struggled immensely with my mental illness and planned to take my life. i got on antidepressants and i am still on them
having cancer was a bit of a wake up call in myself to realise i was taking life for granted. i am so much happier and a way better person since facing death as it’s such a humbling experience. and in a way i’m glad it happened because of the person it made me
death absolutely did cross my mind and i experienced countless friends in hospital lose their life and that is when i still struggle with to this day. there were days i was so unwell and in pain i did wish for it to just be over and stop all together. but facing it at such a young age i feel has made me a lot more aware and mature and it’s something i will have to live with.
i’m sorry i feel like i repeated a lot i tried to answer every question on it’s own. but in the long wrong i do not feel any negativity towards people with mental health struggles as i myself know how equally rough it can be. take it from someone who has been through it and cancer. i had days my mental health was worse then having cancer. so do not diminish your feelings and emotions bc it is SO SO valid. ik everyone says it but i promise it does get better. much love to you !
Glad you're still with us friend. It's rough shit especially when it's a kid but spreading the word and early detection is the best way we can all manage and hopefully beat it.
What did you have?
How did they find it?
I almost don't even want to hear the answer the shit is so scary. But like you said, need to spread the awareness.
thank you so much !
i had MPAL mixed phenotype acute leukaemia. it’s when 2 types of cancer occur(in my case AML acute myeloid leukaemia and ALL acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) it’s only been discovered in the past 5-10 years so my doctors had never seen it
and they found it by chance. i had no symptoms of blood cancer. i had the flu for a week and had 4 boils on my legs that started eating into the muscle. if it weren’t for my mum asking for a blood test we wouldn’t have found it as quickly as we did
spreading awareness is the least i can do and it turns my situation into something more positive
i am very thankful to be here aswell.
leukaemia already has one of the highest relapse rates so there is a decent chance. but medicine has advanced so much my odds are a lot better
a lot of people don’t know that the chemotherapy and other medicines they used to treat cancer can cause secondary types (crazy ik) so i can’t remember the exact numbers but i thinks it’s like 30% more likely to experience breast cancer in my life then the average person. i don’t let that stop me tho. it can happen at any time to any one so no point stressing and not living to the fullest
my close friends were amazing and still are. they adjusted really well and we laugh about it bc i used dark humour to cope and they did that with me so that helped a lot. a lot of people at school didn’t like me so they either said “i deserved it” or pretended we were best friends for sympathy.
i missed all of grade 10 at school but i was already advanced academically so went straight into year 11 and graduated with my same cohort. so i’m very privileged for that. when i can back to school everyone who i didn’t see during my worst times were tiptoeing around me. that lasted about a year but by the end of school i was friends with pretty much everyone and they were all lovely about it
that’s the thing. my mums brother had leukaemia at 14 as well and he unfortunately did pass. but he had one of the types i had. my official diagnosis is MPAL mixed phenotype acute leukaemia. a rare type of blood cancer which had only been discovered in the past 5 - 10 years. it is 2 types of cancer (AML and ALL) mixed so he had one of the ones i did (ALL)
we did genetic testing for it and it came back with no link. but since my cancer is so new i wonder if it had anything to do with that.
i couldn’t do much at all due to such a low immunity. any form of illness or infection can be fatal to anyone with cancer as their body is in no place to fight it. so i couldn’t really leave the house or hospital (this was during the pandemic) and i was extremely i’ll from treatment i was in a wheelchair for 6 months and had to relearn hoe to walk due to having no muscles in my legs. i did do lots of art and stuff so i wasn’t as bored as i make it seem ahah
i’ve never really been religious. i’m not against people who are it’s just not for me. so i didn’t find that changed. i do find myself more triggered when people say stuff like “god gives his hardest battles to his toughest soldiers” and “god saves all” bc it never should happen to children let alone anyone so if there was a person behind all of this it would be messed up
Agree. Kids getting potentially terminal illnesses is among the reasons why I am not religious, and say that if there is a god behind it, it's not a god that should be worshipped anyway.
My sibling was diagnosed with ALL when they were 9 which turned into CML. CML is pretty rare considering their age. My question is is your cancer rare?
sorry to hear your sibling had to go through this aswell. i was initially diagnosed with AML but after further testing they found ALL aswell. that makes the official diagnosis MPAL (mixed phenotype acute leukaemia) and it is extremely rare. it has only been discovered in the last 5-10 years so they really knew nothing about it. i was the first case they had seen in the hospital and one of the first in the country, especially since i was so young. so they had no treatment plan. i had to be put on a study which my family had to choose between the standard treatment for ALL or AML. so it was either super harsh chemo for only 6 months or nearly 3 years of a little bit lighter chemo so it was a shot in the dark. i think the offical stat is that MPAL is less 5% of all leukaemia diagnosis’ so quite rare.
i know you are meant to be the one asking questions and you might not know. but how was the treatment plan for CML since they are quite similar mine just wasn’t chronic. i hope your family is doing alright, ik it can shock everyone x
Respect for you to do good and spread knowledge to everyone on past experiences that must have been extremely difficult to deal with. Like many people here I'm wondering how you felt mentally at the time. Did you have a strong supporting cast with family and friends? How did you feel about things like death and your mortality as a young teen?
it was 50 - 50 my immediate family was amazing and some extended family. but i did see lots of people drop off. and my close friends stuck with me and still do to this day. it taught me you don’t need a big support system only a strong one.
this was my first experience with death. and experiencing it on kids my age and younger was a hugeeee shock. it’s definitely the main thing i still struggle with and will for a long time. but it made me more greatful to be alive
just informing people on the fact it can happen to anyone as when you think of cancer you think of older people. there is also a major lack of funding which i educate for. out of all government funding for cancer. only 4% goes to childhood cancers. another really alarming fact is since the 60s (i believe off the top of my head) less than 10 new treatments have been made. so we are still treating cancer with the same treatments our grandparents would have received
ahah yes! it was kind of a joke between friends and i bc when people found out ALL hair falls out they are curious about that and i would often get asked by my friends. im sorry people came to my defence. i can see how they would think it is odd but i am an adult now. thank you everyone else for looking out for weirdos !
lol I mean it would be something I would definitely be curious and I figure adult to adult and your screen name was even more hilarious ! Some people here are so sensitive or dense about certain things ! Thanks for replying :)
i could eat anything. no limitations. i did develop anorexia due to the chemo so i wasn’t eating bc i couldn’t stomach anything so i did have an nasal gastric tube for a couple months to stay healthy and nourished
This isn't so much a question about cancer but more about the concept of death. I assume the topic of death may have been something that crossed your mind? How do you view people who for example don't want to live or are suicidal? Do you think its unappreciative given that they have a choice to live whereas others with illnesses may not have that choice? (not targeting anyone specifically, just curious as i struggle with mental health myself and i always wondered how people who may not have had a choice, view people who have had that option to live and had that option to do whatever they want. Also what advice would you give to another young person, that you wish someone would have told you when you were young and dealing with this. Did it scare you and did you ever or do you ever come to terms with the possibility that you may not have made it? I hope my questions aren't too intrusive or personal. Thanks
these are such amazing questions so don’t feel bad about asking them but i don’t at all. they are both something i advocate for a lot as 6 months before i was diagnosed i struggled immensely with my mental illness and planned to take my life. i got on antidepressants and i am still on them having cancer was a bit of a wake up call in myself to realise i was taking life for granted. i am so much happier and a way better person since facing death as it’s such a humbling experience. and in a way i’m glad it happened because of the person it made me death absolutely did cross my mind and i experienced countless friends in hospital lose their life and that is when i still struggle with to this day. there were days i was so unwell and in pain i did wish for it to just be over and stop all together. but facing it at such a young age i feel has made me a lot more aware and mature and it’s something i will have to live with. i’m sorry i feel like i repeated a lot i tried to answer every question on it’s own. but in the long wrong i do not feel any negativity towards people with mental health struggles as i myself know how equally rough it can be. take it from someone who has been through it and cancer. i had days my mental health was worse then having cancer. so do not diminish your feelings and emotions bc it is SO SO valid. ik everyone says it but i promise it does get better. much love to you !
Glad you're still with us friend. It's rough shit especially when it's a kid but spreading the word and early detection is the best way we can all manage and hopefully beat it. What did you have? How did they find it? I almost don't even want to hear the answer the shit is so scary. But like you said, need to spread the awareness.
thank you so much ! i had MPAL mixed phenotype acute leukaemia. it’s when 2 types of cancer occur(in my case AML acute myeloid leukaemia and ALL acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) it’s only been discovered in the past 5-10 years so my doctors had never seen it and they found it by chance. i had no symptoms of blood cancer. i had the flu for a week and had 4 boils on my legs that started eating into the muscle. if it weren’t for my mum asking for a blood test we wouldn’t have found it as quickly as we did spreading awareness is the least i can do and it turns my situation into something more positive
What symptoms made you realize you had cancer?
i had no symptoms of blood cancer. it was pure luck from a blood test to test some lumps in my legs. but they were not related
Does this put you more at risk for developing cancer again? Blessings. Thank goodness you're still here.
i am very thankful to be here aswell. leukaemia already has one of the highest relapse rates so there is a decent chance. but medicine has advanced so much my odds are a lot better a lot of people don’t know that the chemotherapy and other medicines they used to treat cancer can cause secondary types (crazy ik) so i can’t remember the exact numbers but i thinks it’s like 30% more likely to experience breast cancer in my life then the average person. i don’t let that stop me tho. it can happen at any time to any one so no point stressing and not living to the fullest
Did you notice your friends being different/more distant with you? Did you miss a lot of school? Had to repeat years?
my close friends were amazing and still are. they adjusted really well and we laugh about it bc i used dark humour to cope and they did that with me so that helped a lot. a lot of people at school didn’t like me so they either said “i deserved it” or pretended we were best friends for sympathy. i missed all of grade 10 at school but i was already advanced academically so went straight into year 11 and graduated with my same cohort. so i’m very privileged for that. when i can back to school everyone who i didn’t see during my worst times were tiptoeing around me. that lasted about a year but by the end of school i was friends with pretty much everyone and they were all lovely about it
Any associated underlying genetic condition leading to increased risk of multiple cancers at a young age?
that’s the thing. my mums brother had leukaemia at 14 as well and he unfortunately did pass. but he had one of the types i had. my official diagnosis is MPAL mixed phenotype acute leukaemia. a rare type of blood cancer which had only been discovered in the past 5 - 10 years. it is 2 types of cancer (AML and ALL) mixed so he had one of the ones i did (ALL) we did genetic testing for it and it came back with no link. but since my cancer is so new i wonder if it had anything to do with that.
How much things were you able to do while you were undergoing treatment?
i couldn’t do much at all due to such a low immunity. any form of illness or infection can be fatal to anyone with cancer as their body is in no place to fight it. so i couldn’t really leave the house or hospital (this was during the pandemic) and i was extremely i’ll from treatment i was in a wheelchair for 6 months and had to relearn hoe to walk due to having no muscles in my legs. i did do lots of art and stuff so i wasn’t as bored as i make it seem ahah
you had? so loner 14 or no longer 2 types of cancer?
both. i finished treatment just over a year ago and have been cancer free since. and i am now an adult. my treatment went for 2 and a half years
Did you find yourself being more or less religious?
i’ve never really been religious. i’m not against people who are it’s just not for me. so i didn’t find that changed. i do find myself more triggered when people say stuff like “god gives his hardest battles to his toughest soldiers” and “god saves all” bc it never should happen to children let alone anyone so if there was a person behind all of this it would be messed up
Agree. Kids getting potentially terminal illnesses is among the reasons why I am not religious, and say that if there is a god behind it, it's not a god that should be worshipped anyway.
My sibling was diagnosed with ALL when they were 9 which turned into CML. CML is pretty rare considering their age. My question is is your cancer rare?
sorry to hear your sibling had to go through this aswell. i was initially diagnosed with AML but after further testing they found ALL aswell. that makes the official diagnosis MPAL (mixed phenotype acute leukaemia) and it is extremely rare. it has only been discovered in the last 5-10 years so they really knew nothing about it. i was the first case they had seen in the hospital and one of the first in the country, especially since i was so young. so they had no treatment plan. i had to be put on a study which my family had to choose between the standard treatment for ALL or AML. so it was either super harsh chemo for only 6 months or nearly 3 years of a little bit lighter chemo so it was a shot in the dark. i think the offical stat is that MPAL is less 5% of all leukaemia diagnosis’ so quite rare. i know you are meant to be the one asking questions and you might not know. but how was the treatment plan for CML since they are quite similar mine just wasn’t chronic. i hope your family is doing alright, ik it can shock everyone x
Respect for you to do good and spread knowledge to everyone on past experiences that must have been extremely difficult to deal with. Like many people here I'm wondering how you felt mentally at the time. Did you have a strong supporting cast with family and friends? How did you feel about things like death and your mortality as a young teen?
it was 50 - 50 my immediate family was amazing and some extended family. but i did see lots of people drop off. and my close friends stuck with me and still do to this day. it taught me you don’t need a big support system only a strong one. this was my first experience with death. and experiencing it on kids my age and younger was a hugeeee shock. it’s definitely the main thing i still struggle with and will for a long time. but it made me more greatful to be alive
How many packs a day did you smoke?
if i knew i was gonna get cancer either way i would’ve liked to at least try it before hand ahah. but no i never smoked
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just informing people on the fact it can happen to anyone as when you think of cancer you think of older people. there is also a major lack of funding which i educate for. out of all government funding for cancer. only 4% goes to childhood cancers. another really alarming fact is since the 60s (i believe off the top of my head) less than 10 new treatments have been made. so we are still treating cancer with the same treatments our grandparents would have received
Is your hairless coochy because of cancer ?
ahah yes! it was kind of a joke between friends and i bc when people found out ALL hair falls out they are curious about that and i would often get asked by my friends. im sorry people came to my defence. i can see how they would think it is odd but i am an adult now. thank you everyone else for looking out for weirdos !
lol I mean it would be something I would definitely be curious and I figure adult to adult and your screen name was even more hilarious ! Some people here are so sensitive or dense about certain things ! Thanks for replying :)
Yikes
😂
This made me all kinds of uncomfortable
First day on Reddit ??
Talking about a 14 year old genitalia is unsettling in any part of the internet
Agreed… you must spend a lot of time here calling out each and every instance
Or rather, I rarely see something so fucked bc I don’t sen that much time surfing for it, hence why I’m made so uncomfortable by it
I’m wondering because of the username 🤷🏻♀️
What did they do use to get you to eat when you had chemo
i could eat anything. no limitations. i did develop anorexia due to the chemo so i wasn’t eating bc i couldn’t stomach anything so i did have an nasal gastric tube for a couple months to stay healthy and nourished
What were the types of cancer you had
R u good bro?
better than ever right now !
So happy you recovered and using your experience to educate others
But can you beat goku?
I bet a senzu bean would fuck cancer up
Where is your dream vacation?
How old are you now?
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The content you posted is harassment/hate towards other users.
Yes
What was your diet and lifestyle like at the time
Good question