Maine Donor Diagnosed with Rare Leukemia
- Longtime blood donor Ed Suscovic wanted to donated his kidney, and it was discovered that he had a rare blood cancer, hairy cell leukemia.
- Hairy cell leukemia can be treated with chemotherapy and chemotherapy drugs.
- Being an advocate for your health is important, especially during the pandemic.
Ed has donated blood since he was in high school. He's even donated bone marrow that helped save a 10 year old, nearly 23 years ago. Now he's unable to give blood himself, and may need to rely on the generosity of another @newscentermaine pic.twitter.com/7tiJEpn2Tg
— Sean Stackhouse (@StackhouseNCME) March 25, 2021
Understanding Hairy Cell Leukemia
Hairy cell leukemia is a rare and slowly progressing blood cancer. In incidences of this cancer, a person’s bone marrow creates a surplus of B cells, the white blood cells that fight infection. The excess B cells look “hairy” under a microscope, hence the name of this disease. According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), there are no obvious risk factors for this disease.
Related: Blood Cancer Comes in More than 100 Varieties: How They Differ & What They Have in Common
Treatment options for hairy cell leukemia include chemotherapy and chemotherapy drugs. The side effects of chemotherapy can include nausea, hair loss, fatigue and nerve pain. With new technologies, like cooling caps, for instance, some of these common side effects can be mitigated.
Not Your Parents' Chemotherapy: New Solutions for Nausea, Hair Loss, and Other Chemo Side Effects
Advocating For Your Health
Suscovic was fortunate that his health troubles were spotted by doctors. For some people, misdiagnoses by doctors are all too common. That’s why it’s critically important to be an advocate for your health, and stand up for yourself. If you feel like something is off, make an appointment and speak with a doctor. If you don’t get a satisfactory answer, seek out second, third, and fourth opinions, until you get a proper diagnosis and a clearer picture of what is going on with your health.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, says in an earlier interview, “The truth is you have to be in tune with your body, and you realize that you are not the statistic. You are not necessarily going to fit into– well, I don’t have to have a colonoscopy yet because I’m not 50, even though my bowel habits have changed, even though I’m having a lot of blood when I have a bowel movement.”
“That’s why it’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate. And that’s something that I think is really important. You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan,” says Dr. Murrell.
Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate… Don't Settle
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