Bluffer’s guide to Leukaemia

Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells.

There are 4 main types of leukaemia:

Acute myeloid (AML)
Acute lymphoblastic (ALL) – that’s me
Chronic myeloid (CML)
Chronic lymphocytic (CLL)

Bone Marrow

Bone marrow produces stem cells which develop into the three types of blood cells:

Red Blood Cells- that carry oxygen around the body
White Blood Cells- that fight infection
Platelets- which help the blood to clot

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia

ALL is a massive overproduction of immature white blood cells.

Not only are these cells useless but they crowd out the functionality of the other blood cells. So that:

You can not carry oxygen around the body (Breathing problems)
Your blood does not clot properly
You are open to infection

I experienced these symptoms the weekend before my hospital admission.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to KILL the leukaemia cells.

It also kills healthy blood cells, so you need to let the body recover between sessions, often using blood transfusions and/or booster to replenish your good blood supply.

I receive the chemo into my blood supply through a 'Hickman line' (see photos). Some drugs have to be injected into the spinal cord also.

Possible side-effects of chemo:

Increased bruising and bleeding
Lowered resistance to infection
Anaemia
Tiredness
Feeling sick
Sore Mouth
Hair loss
A rare but possible side-effect is known as neutropenic enterocolitis. This is an acute life-threatening intestinal condition caused by the immuno-suppresive effects of chemotherapy. The effects of neutropenic enterocolitis can be dramatically fast and deadly- early recognition is paramount to a potentially good outcome.
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Chemotherapy's aim is to progressivley clean out the leukaemic cells from the blood stream, ultimately creating REMISSION - no visible evidence of leukaemia. This is the first aim of treatment but it is not always a CURE.

Many of us need to follow up with a bone marrow transplant, depending on the potential of relapse.