September Has An Important Theme, Do You Know What It Is?

September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. I realize it may not sound as cool as “National Hot Dog Month” or “National Beer Month”, but it is far more important than most of the other monthly recognitions. 

Just like with any illness or disease, early detection is the key. You may know someone who is suffering from the symptoms of blood cancer and may not realize it. 

Life can get so busy that you think you’re just feeling tired and need more rest, or maybe you’ve not been eating like you should and you just need to get back into your routine. 

Our bodies will tell us something is wrong, we just need to listen better. My wife and I know this from firsthand experience, she was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in 2021.  

She had some blood work down for something totally unrelated and the doctor called thinking that their lab must have an issue and asked her to go to the Emergency Room and get checked again. I went with her, and we made our dinner plans while we waited. 

What happened next is hard to explain. When the doctor came in and told us she had leukemia, it was like our world was turned upside down. I remember feeling like I was in a tunnel, and everything was shaking. 

As we were transferred to a hospital, we learned that some of the things she had been experiencing were signs of Leukemia; trouble with her vision, excessive night sweats, and an overall feeling of being more tired than normal.   

Those are just a few of the symptoms, others include; random aches and pains, reoccurring fevers, itching that can’t be calmed down, and possibly a broken bone that is treated as just an accident.  

There are many different types of blood cancer. My wife was told she was fortunate from the standpoint if you had to have leukemia, her kind was the type to have.  

Click here to learn more about some of the things you need to be aware of or be on the lookout for. And please listen to your body and see a doctor if you feel you need to.