Kitz Bauer V.

Policarpio

MIRACLE
Leukemia is a broad term for cancers of the blood cells. The type of leukemia depends on the
type of blood cell that becomes cancer and whether it grows quickly or slowly. Leukemia occurs
most often in adults older than 55, but it is also the most common cancer in children younger
than 15. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) 5-year survival rate is 68.8%. I was about 5 years
old when I discovered I had it. Symptoms were unbearable - pale skin, feeling tired and
breathless, repeated infections over a short time, unusual and frequent bleeding, such as
bleeding gums or nosebleeds, high temperature, night sweats, bone and joint pain, easily
bruised skin, etc. I was lucky enough to discover it in its early stages, so I underwent
chemotherapy.

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs circulate
throughout the body in the bloodstream. Doing the treatment I didn’t know if I was actually being
cured or not. Side effects would include fatigue, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, appetite
changes, weight changes, anemia (low blood cell count), mood changes, etc. I think the worse
pain I received was during bone marrow aspiration, procedure in which a small sample of bone
marrow is removed, usually from the hip bone, breastbone, or thigh bone. A small area of skin
and the surface of the bone underneath are numbed with an anesthetic. Then, a special wide
needle is pushed into the bone.

Chemotherapy Bone Marrow Aspiration

It took 3 years of pain and suffering and never giving up, after my final treatment, my family and
I went to Manila to examine my blood. My mom cried tears of joy when no more cancer cells
was discovered. After that, I was finally able to live my life normally.

Manila