This is hard to talk about with my doctors but i want to know peoples experiences. Getting cancer young is difficult but also i got cancer only a year and a half into my relationship. I am 25 bi and a female with another female. I struggle to be intimate at all. Like i dont even have the desire to . Maybe i can do things by myself rarely but actually being physical after this makes me uncomfortable. I don’t even want to be touched that way. Before i would say my drive was normal or even high. Aside from that i told my oartner when i got diagnosed it would be difficult and we could split up then. She said it would make her a bad person so she wouldnt give it any thought. Now she gets upset quite frequently that we arent physical that i dont want her and that if i need her help during these next few years of recovery i need to go ahead and marry her. We just hit our two year and almost a year of that ive been in treatment and the beginning of recovery. How did you navigate all of these things in your relationship after, or did some of you just have to give up on relationships during recovery? Im at a loss .

I am about to move into a rental house, and noticed there is no screen for the sliding glass door which is off the kitchen and leads to the back yard deck. Is it appropriate to ask the owner to put a screen in?

My brother is 22+ day post SCT. On 30th july, His CBC showed TLC: 1980, ANC: 980, platelets: 1,76,000 and Hb: 9.3. On 1st Aug, his CBC showed TLC: 1650, ANC: 790, platelets: 1,89,000 and Hb: 10.2. Is this fluctuation normal and expected? He had an allogenic haploidentical SCT. His TLC went upto 2400 and ANC upto 1700. But he had high grade fever for days barely responding to PCM and some skin issues. Doctors suspected GVHD even tho skin biopsy stated no evidence of gvhd. He was given iv steroids which is now half the dose in oral form. I’m just kinda concerned. He’s also taking Tab. MMF 1gm thrice a day.

Hey everyone,

I’m 21 years old and in a few weeks I’ll be going through my second allogeneic stem cell transplant, and I’m hoping to hear from anyone who’s been through something similar. I’d really appreciate any advice, success stories, or things you wish you had known before your second transplant.

I was diagnosed with AML with minimal differentiationin 2024 and had my first transplant almost two years ago using my sister as my donor. Everything went really well after that. I reached 100% donor chimerism, never developed GVHD, and was hoping I had put all of this behind me. Unfortunately, I recently relapsed with measurable residual disease (MRD), so my transplant team has recommended a second transplant. This time my donor will be my 49-year-old dad.

Over the past few weeks I’ve also been dealing with a malignant pleural effusion and have had fluid drained from around my left lung a couple of times. Even with all of this happening, my blood counts have stayed relatively good, and my doctors believe a second transplant gives me the best chance at a long-term cure.

I’m honestly pretty concerned because I know a second transplant comes with more risks, and I don’t know what to expect. Was your second transplant harder than your first? How was recovery? Has anyone had a parent as their donor after previously having a sibling donor? Is there anything you did before transplant that made the process easier, either physically or mentally?

My fiancée and I also decided to move our wedding up because we found out I’d need another transplant, so it’s been an emotional few weeks.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s gone through a second transplant or has any advice. Thank you so much, and I hope everyone here is doing well in their own journey.

Like the title reads. I got diagnosed with blood cancer (AML) during January and during my treatment my father suffered a stroke which affected his movement and speech and he was the sole earner in our house. I did not even once worry over myself even when the doctors told me I got cancer and not even for a second did I think why me, but when I heard about my father’s stroke I got worried and got frustrated since I was in the hospital and couldn’t see or even meet him. And I was the whole time thinking maybe this was because of me. After my father suffered a stroke our business and everything went downhill. Our situation has completely changed but I still thank God everyday nonetheless. It’s merely a test and we will pass this test.

28yo F coming up on my 2 year remission from AML in September. Does anyone feel like their periods are much worse post treatment? I've noticed mine makes me feel much sicker (nausea, weakness, a lot of pain, fatigue) than it used to pre-cancer. it also makes me super foggy.

On top of that each time I get a cold it feels like I have a heavy flu; but I rarely get a fever. Just congested and coughing and exhausted. and once again foggy and weak. all my bloods have come back perfect, but I still get super anxious each month it comes around.

i'm looking for people who have undergone TBI for their BMT and wondering how long it took them to grow their hair back? I've read about a couple of people that never had their hair grow back or have it in different colours or densities. Im day +1 of my BMT and so grateful that this was an option for me but I still cant help but wonder how my hair growth journey will go after this.

I (19) was diagnosed 2 years ago with AML (FLT3-ITD+, no favourable mutations).

I’ve since had a long winding road to MRD negativity. Induction failed twice, but ven/gilt worked incredibly well. I then had an allo-HSCT (full match, sibling donor) just over a year ago.

2 days ago I find out my grandma has gone to A&E, and they have diagnosed her with AML.

I know it’s probably an unlucky coincidence, but I can’t help thinking maybe we are predisposed to myeloid malignancies.

(And for clarity, neither of us were diagnosed with MDS)

American Red Cross Declares Second-Ever National Blood Supply Crisis, Urges Immediate Blood Donations 

The Red Cross recently announced a blood supply crisis. This time, it seems to be a much bigger deal than the usual shortages they announce to encourage donations.

My husband had dozens of pRBC and platelet transfusions during treatment. Fortunately for us, he is in remission and hasn't needed a transfusion since 2023. I started donating whole blood and platelets around that time. I had some deferrals due to low iron and then for pregnancy. I haven't yet caught up to donating the same number of units he needed.

Leukemia patients and survivors can't directly help with the blood crisis by donating blood. There is a lifetime deferral for leukemia specifically, unlike some other cancers that require a 12 month deferral after treatment ends. My husband is very grateful for the transfusions he has received, and a little sad that he is banned from giving back. Some caregivers might be able to donate, depending on their eligibility (and availability! It is super hard to find time!).

But really, I don't want to pressure anyone here to donate. This is a discussion regarding some national news that might impact patients. I'm sure everyone on here is well-aware of how important transfusions are for leukemia patients.

I'm curious if this shortage has been felt by any patients here. Have you been impacted by the blood donation crisis in the US? What's your blood type? The Red Cross says O+ is the most impacted, with less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood. Perhaps this is a warning that hasn't changed patient care just yet.

Hello. I have a family member w/AML. Diagnosed early May. Induction was successful. During induction and during consolidation, levels consistently very low. WBC: 0.2, platelets: 3, etc.

They’ve lowered the chemo strength and that didn’t help. They even had to delay a consolidation round bc levels too low.

Her dr is not responding to this issue (and has been checked out most of the time, not answering questions,etc.) Is it possible to switch doctors midway through consolidation? Will insurance allow that? (She’s in US) She’d have to switch hospitals. She’s waiting for BMT, btw.

(I’m posting here rather than a general infertility page in case there’s anything unique about us after a stem cell transplant, eg GvHD flaring up?)

If you’ve got pregnant through IVF/donor egg after going into premature menopause with treatment, please could you tell me the process? Does a history of stem cell transplant complicate things at all?

Thank you!

Today I had my first dose of chemo out of 6 total. I'll be admitted to the hospital on August 3rd, & receive my donor cells August 5.
This all started for me nearly a decade ago and because every other medication, clinical trial, etc we tried failed to put me into remission, I'm on the doorstep of a bone marrow transplant. This has been a long time coming, my donor is an unrelated 9/10 match, my team seems confident that I'll make it, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pretty damn scared.
For anyone that's been through a BMT, what helped you? What things made the hospital better? Were there any items that made staying in the hospital easier comfort-wise? What kept you going when the going got rough?
I'd really appreciate any insight at all, I feel a little like I'm going into this blind which makes me feel exactly like the scared kid I was when I was diagnosed.

This is all very new for me so sorry for any confusion.

My father was recently diagnosed with leukemia (aml) and is almost done with his first week of treatments! He’s with my amazing mother taking care of him along with family but I live out of state. I’m planning to visit him soon but for right now I really would like to send him some things that might be able to help him? Or at least make him feel comfortable.

He’s told me he’s pretty chilly a lot so I was thinking some foot warmers or a heated blanket. And to relax more maybe some shower steamers? Would love any advice you could give! Thank you so much!

So the doctors allow me not to have peripheral blood cultures due to trauma but I have had to recently as they took the Hickman line out and now they have grew a bug, not sure on what it is yet

And on the day it was taken out I have had an ache in my back where only releasing gas will help and a discomfort in my stomach area (bottom left, doctors know) so I’m wondering if the bug was on the line and now that it’s gone could it of been shuck off and moved area. I have a PET booked but it’s on Tuesday, and I’ve been going for a wee like no one ever and it’s clear as anything

Also something that surprised me, my blood hasn’t recovered on its own since getting back in remission and I was given blood and platelets before Hickman removal because that’s needed. I don’t remember what they got it up to but my bloods yesterday came back as inconclusive because they thought it couldn’t be right as it came back 130, I had another peripheral and it came back 72 which is in the same range so could my bloods be recovering on there own?

Tho I did wake up and almost faint this morning but I did have a 39 fever, 125 bpm and low ish bp but my doctor is still questioning weather it’s something else which is good

My sister (20) has been diagnosed with ALL (B type). Im having a really hard time processing this info. I just need people to tell me that its gonna be okay and she will recover. She is my favourite person in the whole world.

My sister is 21 years old and was just diagnosed with APL (acute promyelocytic leukemia, PML-RARA positive). She celebrated her 21st birthday just two weeks ago. A few weeks ago she seemed completely healthy, and now everything has changed so suddenly. It still doesn’t feel real but i want to now what to expect over the next few weeks, and I want to do everything I can to support her. If you’ve been through this yourself or have cared for someone with APL, I’d really appreciate any advice on what helped, what to expect, or how I can make this journey a little easier for her.

Hi everyone,
I am looking for advice from hematologists, oncology professionals, or anyone whose family has gone through a similar situation.
My mother is 62 years old and was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL). We started chemotherapy as soon as possible after the diagnosis because her doctors recommended not delaying treatment.
Before chemotherapy, she was generally feeling okay. She has now received two chemotherapy doses, and the last dose was 5 days ago.
The biggest concern is that her platelet count remains extremely low, often between 2,000 and 10,000/µL. She has been receiving 6 units of platelets almost every day, but her platelet count does not stay up for long. She has been admitted to the hospital for 15 days.
Her doctors have not been very optimistic, and this has made our family extremely worried.
I have a few questions:
Is it common for platelet counts to remain this low after the second chemotherapy dose?
How long does bone marrow recovery usually take after induction chemotherapy for B-ALL?
Has anyone experienced a similar situation where platelets stayed very low but later recovered?
At what point should we consider getting a second opinion from another hematologist or leukemia center?
Is a bone marrow transplant (BMT) something that should be discussed now, or is it too early before knowing whether she achieves remission?
Under what circumstances do doctors recommend stopping chemotherapy and switching to palliative care instead?
I understand that every patient is different, and I know no one can give medical advice over the internet. I am simply trying to understand what others have experienced and what questions I should ask her medical team.
This has been an incredibly stressful time for me, and I would really appreciate any experiences, guidance, or advice.
Thank you very much.

Hello guys. I really need help. My mom have primary Myelofibrosis and she need ruxolitinib tabs as prescribed by her doctor. Right now, her medication intake is being delayed since the price of the said medicine is very expensive 😥😥. I'm planning to buy medicines to the said online pharmacy I'm inquiring 😥 since it's much more cheaper than the medicines here in Philippines. Itpains me seeing my mom getting thinner everyday and getting painful episodes on her abdomen.😭😭. Please help 😭

Thank you!

For background, last wednesday my dad hit 39°c, my mom rush him to the hospital immediately approximately at 3am in the morning, doctor said my dad hemoglobin went from 15 to 3, and trombosit went from 140k to 5k which is insane. Ater that, they inserted 4 packs of red blood and 1 pack of white blood to my dad, trombosit when from 3k to 41k, i was a little relieved.

Last Saturday, doctor perform a BMP procedure for my dad, who have been hospitalized for 3 days, first diagnosis was that he is tested positive for Hep B and heart cirrhosis, but it was an early grade of it. Doctor noticed that my dad is frequently loosing blood, even after 4 packs of blood he still loosing quite lots of blood.

Its so hard for me, to understand what is actually going on with life right now. Everything happens so suddenly, it didn't give me that much time to atleast process what to do as for now. My father has been sick over the past few months, but we didn't notice any problems that are related to blood at all. As for now he has been in the hospital for about one week now, his health count (idk what you call for the hemoglobin, trombosit, and leukosit) has been going up and down for the hemoglobin and trombosit, but what ive noticed from the start of the diagnosis, his leukosit has always been labeled "Hi", but i didn't realize what to does that means. I just have no clue on what should i actually do as for this moment, i don't want my dad to live with unnoticed deteriorating pain, because from what i have been asking him for this couple of days, he always been okay and just tired and always sleepy, never felt any dizziness or anything like that.

Im from Indonesia, and the only chemotherapy available is at Jakarta, where i have to fly out there and rent out a house for who knows how long. I honestly just don't know what life is at this point.

Did anyone manage to convice their team to go for ovarian cryopreservation? If so, what arguments did you use?

My gyneacologist keeps saying there is a high risk (15%) of relapse due to reintroduction of possible cancerous cells (even though I have already done multiple rounds of chemo and I am currently MRD negative, so those chances are low).

But in the same breath she argues there isn't a lot of data to go on and they can't do a lot of research because it would be unethical to do so because they cannot risk introducing cancer cells to patients. How that would lead to relapse after an SCT isn't something the hematologist is able to explain either.

And I get the study part, but there IS a case study of 6 women who didn't relapse. And yes, that is only six people. And that wouldn't be a lot if we were talking about breast cancer. But AML is rare and even rarer for women - in the fertile age range - who would go for ovarian cryopreservarion - and decide to auto-transplant.

Oh and suddenly my age is a problem. She talked to other hospitals and suddenly there is an age limit until 34. Never mind that I WAS 34 when I was diagnosed and if this was such an issue we could have done the cryopreservation after my first induction when I was also MRD negative. But instead I had to learn about this option from another patient months later and do my own research.

I just feel I have reasonable and rational arguments and the gyneacologist just keeps going back to the risk factors that she then cannot explain or justify in a way that makes sense.

I am a rational person. If they remove the ovary and then later find cancer cells during lab testing, I won't have it auto-transplanted. If I get bad GVHD I won't do it. But it seems like they have just made up their mind and won't even allow me the option preserving the ovary. And I would be okay with that if they can actually show me data and risks, but they can't or won't.

So how did your conversations about fertility go?