Lisa Pugh

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I was feeling tired. Not just I didn't get enough sleep tired but almost fall asleep while driving, fall asleep while typing at work. Just abnormally tired. I thought maybe I was anemic or needed a b12 shot. Went in for my normal check up and told my doctor. She said let's do blood work. I have a cbc blood panel done usually every two years. It came back my white cell count and platelets count were low. Not alarming but low. She sent me to a hemotologust. He did another blood panel and it was a little lower. He said let's repeat it in a month. Well it was Christmas so it was actually 2 month before I did the blood work again. So now it is late January. His assistant called to say they wanted to schedule a bone marrow test. That scared me and the doctor didn't call and explain anything and I really didn't like him. So I decided to switch doctors. I had gone with my dad to his hemotologust and liked him so I made an appointment. I had to wait a week because he was out of town. I immediately liked him better. He did more blood work and didn't like my trending down numbers. I had no other symptoms. He scheduled an ultra sound on my liver and spleen and it all came back normal. So he called me personally and said we have no choice now but to do a bone marrow test. So we scheduled it for Wednesday February 22nd.they called that afternoon for me to come in early the next day. Thursday, February 23rd he told me I had leukemia and he did not treat that. He wanted me go to Barnes site man and had already been in touch with an oncologist there he has know for 15 years. I was scheduled to check in for treatment on Monday, February 27th. Everything was moving so fast.i looked up the symptoms for leukemia and I really didn't have any. I was tired and short of breath. I thought that was just because I was overweight and out of shape.

I had three days to get everything in order. I was checking into the hospital for 3 to 4 weeks for treatment.it was overwhelming. I had to pass thing off at work, set up my short term disability, get my taxes done, register for my daughters baby shower with her. Having a grandchild due in may is worrying
Me not knowing how long my treatment will take. Plus she lives with us and we are helping her out. 

I have spent 4 1/2 weeks in the hospital knowing the bills are piling up and not sure what my insurance will cover.i also have to come back in for maintenance chemo for 5 days a month for 2, 3 or 4 more months. 

The first 7 days of chemo did put me in remission but without the maintenence chemo it will most likely comeback.

Through it all I have remained positive. Still checking in with my parents because I handle all their doctors. Checking in with my sister in law because my mother in law is fighting lung cancer.