BubbaBea's page

It was coming up to Christmas, but I wasn't excited because I became very ill. I was tired alot of the time, a short walk in the park (which is right next door) gave me a stitch. All I wanted to do was sit and watch telly or read a book, and I slept alot during the day. I was also very pale, almost green. I've got very fair skin anyway, but I became al most white but around my jaw I was sort of green and yucky. But the very worst thing was the pains. I started getting terrible pains in my legs and lower back. I wouldn't be able to sleep or sit still, I'd pace around all night unable to sit down. Our GP told us it was a viral infection that was affecting my muscles, or flu. Actually, the first person we saw thought I was making it up. They didn't want to give me a blood test because they apparently didn't want to cause any unnecessary distress to a young child, which was ridiculous as I was obviously anaemic and i wasn't that young anyway although I did kick up a huge fuss when I eventually had the blood test). We went to the emergency clinic about five times in the middle of the night, but all they gave us was Ibuprofen. Eventually we got a blood test, and were called up to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge immediately, where I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Alot of this part is a hazy blur, but I was in hospital for three weeks. That time is a blur of sickness, diarrhoea and weird food cravings!!!! I lost all my hair which I'd been growing for so long down to almost my waist.
Eventually I got to go home, which was fantastic. I have been at home for over a year now and am now into the Maintenance part of treatment (being on regimen C).