My name is Christie and I am currently battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia for the 4th time in 3.5 years, and most likely receiving a second bone marrow transplant later this summer(2022). I am a single/not-married 31 yr old woman. I welcome you into a glimpse of my cancer journey that began on November 14th, 2018, when my life came to a screeching halt a week before Thanksgiving, and my world was turned upside down.
I am going to take you back through my journey from the beginning, what it was like to go through treatments for the third time during a global pandemic, being deemed cancer free for the third time in 16 months, and everything in between and after… and now battling it for the FOURTH time as I found out that my leukemia returned on Thursday March 31st, 2022. It came back as tumors in my spinal cord(1 in my mid back, 1 in my neck) and 4 tumors in my brain.
Going through a bone marrow transplant is not like going through other cancer treatments that you are probably more familiar with. You get a brand new immune system. And with that, there are MANY restrictions, many changes that happen to your body, and it is one heck of a rollercoaster of emotions.
I want to create a real life “survival guide” to help fellow warriors going through the bone marrow transplant process a little easier. A little less in the dark. A little more hopeful.
But all of this isn’t just for cancer warriors. I also want to help everyone live a life that “Fuels Your Soul”; because when you’re in a hospital for the 36th night in a row(or 127 nights total – as of April 2022), you look back at your life and look forward to doing things that give you that feeling. Fueling Your Soul and getting high on life. Smiling so big and laughing until it hurts. Finding happiness in the small things. Not sweating the small stuff that won’t matter in an hour. Making deeper connections with people other than bonding on what bars you love going to or the latest trend.
I want to help others find how to fuel your body, from the inside out. Literally and figuratively. From transitioning to a healthier and cleaner lifestyle, to taking your feelings and thoughts and reflecting on them. Realizing that we do need time to rest & recover in order to be our best selves, and to help others. One of my favorite sayings is that “you cannot pour from an empty cup”. We deserve nothing more than to be happy and living the best life possible. It starts with your mental attitude, and anything can happen from there.
So welcome to my crazy journey of being a young adult going through cancer in my late 20s(and now 30s!), and trying to enjoy every single second I can.
Click “Cancer Journey” at the top to see my newest blog posts!
- Christie