As a childhood cancer survivor, just getting a diagnosis was
the first battle. I had been a previously healthy fifteen-year old,
but one day in 1989 I developed flu-like symptoms.
Within 48 hours, my fever, fatigue and nausea turned into
swollen glands that made it very hard to move my neck.
I started to violently throw up. The pediatrician discovered
severely swollen stomach and glands as well as jaundice, a
yellowish color to my skin, which is never good. I also had
difficulty breathing and I was wheezing. My pediatrician
immediately admitted me to the local hospital for monitoring
and diagnostic work-up. After undergoing numerous tests,
including blood work, X rays, CT scans and a spinal tap, all
tests results were negative, but my condition worsened. After 72
hours in the local hospital, I was emergently transferred to
Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago for an oncology consult.
At this point, I was barely conscious, required oxygen, and
was unable to move my neck at all. My body was shutting down
and problems with bleeding and clotting developed. Because my
condition was worsening, I was taken to the operating room
for exploratory surgery and biopsies. All biopsies were negative
and I was transferred to the ICU after surgery because I
was on a breathing machine and needed close monitoring.