Children Cancer Stories by Rukh Yusuf - Blog # 12
Very few people have a breezy life all through, most of us get our share of trials, sorrows, and agony to keep us humble. In last Ramadan, ten years old Ayesha started feeling dizzy and looked pale. Being already a slim child, her parents thought she was getting weak. Her mother tried to improve her diet, but Ayesha did not feel any better. Soon, she was unable to walk properly due to her dizziness, and she looked paler too.
My today’s Warrior and Insha Allah future survivor is ten years old Ayesha, a student of class six who belongs to an upper middle-class family of Faisalabad. Her father is running a small business in Faisalabad. She has an elder brother and two younger sisters. Ayesha’s mother is a brave educated lady.
Her mother discussed Ayesha’s condition with her younger sister who is a doctor in USA. The aunt suggested CBC (complete blood count), and CBC showed her deranged counts with Hemoglobin (Hb) of 6. The aunt suggested blood transfusion, but it was difficult for parents to believe and agree to transfusion, so they did not transfuse blood.
Ayesha was getting worse day by day and suddenly, one day she fainted. The CBC was repeated on aunt’s advice, and this time the CBC showed more deranged counts with Hb of 4. Blood was transfused, but the aunt did not tell parents about the details of Ayesha’s illness.
The parents took her to the best hospital in Faisalabad, but after initial tests, she was referred to Lahore. Finally, she reached Pediatric cancer unit of tertiary care hospital in Lahore. Here she was diagnosed as a case of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and her treatment started.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Is a cancer of the bone marrow and the blood that progresses rapidly without treatment and affects immature cells. These cells can't carry out their normal functions. AML can be a difficult disease to treat.
There is no known cause for most cases of AML. For most people who have AML, there are no obvious reasons (risk factors) as to why they develop the disease.
It is common for people with AML to feel a loss of well-being because of the underproduction of normal bone marrow cells. The patients may tire more easily and have shortness of breath during normal physical activities. People with AML may also have a pale complexion from anemia, headaches, signs of bleeding caused by a very low platelet count, including black-and-blue marks or bruises occurring for no reason or because of a minor injury, the appearance of pinhead-sized red spots on the skin called “petechiae” and prolonged bleeding from minor cuts.
Blood and bone marrow tests are used to diagnose AML and the AML subtype. A change in the number and appearance of blood cells helps to make the diagnosis. A complete blood count (CBC) shows lower-than-expected numbers of RBCs and platelets. A peripheral blood smear shows the presence of leukemic blast cells (myeloblasts). A person with AML usually has too many immature white blood cells (leukemic blasts) in the blood and too few mature white blood cells. The immature cells do not function like normal, mature white blood cells. Other tests include bone marrow and genetic tests.
Most AML patients, particularly patients with high white cell counts, need treatment soon after diagnosis because of the disease's rapid progression. The initial goal of treatment usually is to get the patient into remission. The long-term goal is to cure the disease.
Treatment include chemotherapy or other drug therapies. Stem cell transplant is also an option but that is done after chemotherapy.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) only accounts for about 20 percent of childhood leukemias. The overall survival rate has increased for children with AML but is still much lower than that of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
Ayesha’s mother said she cannot describe her feelings when they first came to know about her daughter’s disease. She used to cry alone all the time. Little angel came to know about her disease when she had to get admitted in the Cancer department. It was so heartening to reply to her about her questions related to disease. Now she knows all details of her ailment and getting treatment like a warrior. The doctor says that the stem cell transplant may be needed for her after chemotherapy. Her parents only want their healthy child, they are ready for the transplant too.
Ayesha’s second course of chemotherapy is going on and she is fighting bravely so far. Her mother says still there are days when they have to sum up their courage from scratch. The chemo is difficult and so is seeing her child suffering with such a disease.
We all pray for early and complete recovery of Ayesha and ease for her family. Aameen
Note: names have been changed to protect identity.
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