Our brains are strangely shaped and very capable of allowing us to cope with almost everything that comes our way. Looking back a month or two before I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia, I can now clearly see the signs that were right in front of me. Of course, my very capable brain was able to create a perfectly logical explanation for each of my symptoms.
Probably one of the first symptoms I noticed, and ignored, was my enormously swollen spleen. I remember lying in bed one night reading; I said to Joe, “You know, things don’t seem to fit in here like they used to.” I just didn’t feel like I could get comfortable and that “things” were packed together on the left side of my abdomen; under my left rib cage. It felt tight to the touch, but it also felt thick, like a muscle. It didn’t hurt and most of the time I didn’t even realize it was there.
The second symptom I noticed was probably the fact that I was a bit more tired than usual. That symptom was easily discounted since Joe and I are always on the go. Our feet hit the ground running every morning and they don’t stop until we go to bed. That, coupled with the fact that I would soon be 52 years old, I simply reckoned being tired, doing too much, and “old age”!
The third symptom was that I seemed a little short of breath when I danced. December was a very busy dance month for us as we got ready to dance at the UCWDC World Championships in Nashville Tennessee the first week of January. That year was the first year I competed in anything in my life. We competed in the Pro / Am division and I was Am. Dancing was something I had wanted to do all my life and had finally started learning how to dance a few years before. Joe and I met when I took a class that he was teaching at a dance convention and now we are competing in the pro / am category.
So, back to my tiredness; We compete in eight dances, and as we practice our routines, it is typical to go through them one after the other for an hour in a row. I started running out of gas during practice several months before World. When I was racing I was wondering what the elevation was for Nashville as I was a bit out of breath dancing there. I didn’t know if it was the elevation or my nerves, but I did notice that I was a bit short of breath after every dance. After competing in World, we took a short break from practice; When we resumed, I told Joe that I found it strange how quickly I was out of breath. I had to stop between routines to catch my breath. I attributed it to being out of shape and being lazy for the past three weeks. Of course, I now know that it was a symptom of my leukemia. I finished eighth in my division at World; but I just know that if I hadn’t had leukemia, I would have come first! And no, not only were there eight in my division, there were twenty-four competitors.
My fourth symptom was bruising. Now I must start this with the fact that I am very clumsy and always bruised. I never remember where I got them; I just know that they are there. However, looking back, this bruise was different. The bruises on my body, just before I was diagnosed with CML, were a bit strange. It seemed to have more of them and they seemed to last longer. They were also hard to the touch; like a lump under the skin. (This was due to the overabundance of white blood cells.) They appeared with a lighter bump or bump than they used to. I noticed them and chided myself to start being more careful. The strange thing about this symptom is that I KNOW it may be a sign of leukemia. When my daughter was only four years old, I took her to the doctor and insisted that she be checked for leukemia because she was always covered in bruises. Yes, she was a tomboy and no, I didn’t hit her! I am amazed that he has never correlated bruising with leukemia inside of me.
The fifth symptom was probably headaches. I had had headaches in the back of my head for quite some time. I attributed it to the need to update and change my glasses prescription. The headaches seemed more frequent at night, while watching television or reading, or while working on the computer. In other words, while concentrating. Yes, I know, brain drain! I made an appointment to see an optometrist on January 13, 2011. During my eye exam, while looking into my eyes in that bright light, the doctor asked me three questions. “Do you have high blood pressure?” I replied, “No, I have low blood pressure.” “Do you have diabetes?” I replied again, “No, that I know of.” “Are you anemic?” Once again I replied, “No, that I know of”, “Why?” “You’re scaring me, should I be scared?” He replied, “Well, you have a significant amount of blood in your eyes.” Of course, I got a little scared and asked what it could mean. He said he wasn’t sure, but he assured me that I would not go blind, but he also said that I should make an appointment to see a retina specialist within the next month or so.
Now you must remember that I have been dealing with Cipro poisoning for the past nine months. My immediate reaction was that this could also be related to Cipro. I went straight to the pharmacist and told him what the eye doctor had said and asked him what he thought. She agreed that it could most likely be related to Cirpo, as Cipro not only affects muscles, joints, and tendons; It can also affect your vascular system. That in combination with all the ibuprofen I had been taking for muscle pain, my vascular system could be compromised and my blood could become thin causing my eyes to bleed. I came out upset and prayed that it wasn’t related to Cipro because if it was, there was nothing that could be done. Moral to that story, be careful what you wish for and be very specific when sending sentences!
The sixth symptom was night sweats. I had had night sweats for about six weeks and woke up damp and cold. I was constantly kicking the blankets and then putting them back on, all night. This, of course, I related to hormones. It was a no-brainer and I would be talking to my doctor about it at my next appointment.
Number seven was the bite-like rash that I suddenly started getting on my torso. You know the first thing I did was wash my sheets and check the bed for bed bugs. I was convinced that we should have them and that I was sweeter than Joe, because he didn’t have any of the bites! You guessed it, there are no bed bugs. He hadn’t changed the detergent and he hadn’t camped. My skin is still very sensitive and I really just want to run naked all the time as clothes drive me crazy. Let’s hope the phase passes!
The last and last symptom, and probably the one that would have eventually sent me to the doctor, was the extreme satiety I felt when I ate; and my funny blood. It was Super Bowl Sunday and he had a routine doctor’s appointment in two days. Joe and I were brutally trying to get our yard work done before the Super Bowl started. I was mowing the front lawn while he was mowing the back lawn. I remember finishing one side and looking at the other thinking, I just can’t do it! I was pooped and had to force myself to finish mowing the lawn. I kept thinking about what a baby I was being since I had cut my front and back on previous occasions and I had never gotten tired. I convinced myself to finish mowing the lawn, and as I did so, I pricked my arm on a rose thorn. It started to bleed and I ignored it. Joe had finished the backyard and had come to see how it was. He had finished mowing and was putting the mower in the garage. We both looked at my blood and thought it looked “weird”. We both said, “That doesn’t look good.” It was kind of orange, not really red. I still had no idea; my brain and common sense in total denial.
Joe started the barbecue and I made a salad and vegetables. We sat down to eat and in four bites it was full. I thought it was strange since I normally eat a lot more, but I thought my lunch was still with me. Since Joe works for Anheuser-Busch, of course, we have beer with ice. I found it strange that it took me almost an hour to drink just one beer. The Super Bowl was over and I was still miserably full. I couldn’t even go to bed until midnight because I felt like a stuffed pig. I felt so miserable. Do you think I would have a clue that something was terribly wrong by now? Looking back, I can hardly believe I didn’t.
So, as a recap; my symptoms included fullness due to a swollen spleen, eye bleeds due to blocked and burst capillaries due to an overabundance of white blood cells, shortness of breath, strange-looking blood, tiredness, bruising, night sweats, skin rash, and frequent headaches. All of these I explained easily and none of them interfered with my daily life. Duh!
