By Amanda Ferraro
Every three minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer in the United States, according to reputable sources.
Imagine putting your child to sleep with a smile on your face; but the reality is you are searching for a breath of air. That was me on May 16, 2017. It was the night I went to the emergency room thinking something was wrong with my heart, but in reality, I had cancer. With these three small words, my life literally changed. Me? Cancer? This was the lowest point in my journey. I had so many questions and felt as if I were swimming in a lake of anxiety with no floaty. I was scared and depressed, anxious and nervous, and felt like my life was over. All I kept thinking about was my child. My family came to visit me in the hospital as we were grieving over this horrific diagnosis. The decision was made to transfer hospitals. I went to a hospital that specializes in my type of cancer and had a wonderful medical team that started my induction chemo right away. I had AML Leukemia. My survival rate was 40-60 percent. I asked a million questions and they answered every single one of them. The team explained the process and I felt like I was ready for war. I received so much inspiration from others; it was awesome. Cards, letters, hats, wigs, so much love was shown when I was confined to that hospital bed for 33 days. Hundreds of messages a day let me know that I wasn’t alone in the fight. In February 2018 I was told I was “cancer free.” I felt like superwoman. It was the best feeling in the world; I had my life back. Unfortunately, in September (six months later), I relapsed. All those scared feelings, the chest tightening, and the anxiety came back. Why me? I felt so alone and scared – like I was the only person in the world to have this happen … gut wrenching. The doctors were fighting the cancer super aggressively this time and the survival rate was 20 percent. So, this fighter had another induction chemo to wipe out the disease; and it worked. The doctors then started to search the bone marrow registry for a possible donor. Lucky for me my doctors were able to find a wonderful selection of donors. In November 2018, I had my stem cell transplant. It was rough. I literally had to relearn how my body functions. I was weak and in pain all the time, and it showed. I could hardly eat. Mentally, I was broken, so I began to look for things that would help. I seriously looked into motivational speeches, discovered breathing exercises and read quotes. Talking with other cancer patients also helped. I set my mind on getting through this experience. I would not let cancer beat me.
Every day I read a new motivational quote from Pinterest, telling myself I was strong enough to get through his challenge. With the love of my family and friends, I am making it through my journey. The mind is a very powerful force. Use it to your advantage.
