Leukemia & You

Today is my birthday.

Although I am feeling sick, today is going to be a great day. I am going to have a party, get presents and have a birthday cake.

I'm feeling more sick, so my mom brings me to the doctor.

The doctor asks about my symptoms. He explains that symptoms are the things making me feel sick. I tell him, I have a headache; I get hot at night; my body aches on the inside (not on the outside); I feel weak; my breath is short. I have lost a couple of pounds.

He sends me to the hospital to do a couple of tests.

I arrive at the hospital where the lady sends me to the examining room. I lie down on a table. A scanner checks my white blood cells.

After running the tests, the doctor tells me that I have Leukemia. I don't understand what that means.

The doctor tells me that my white blood cells inside my body are having trouble fighting off diseases. The bone marrow (the stuff inside your bones) in my body does not make proper white blood cells.

The doctor tells me that my body will need surgery and chemotherapy. He explains that systematic chemotherapy is used to kill the disease in my body.

The doctor explains the different procedures that I will have to go through in order to get rid of the cancer.

Systematic chemotherapy targets the bad blood cells using drugs. It is taken thorough an IV, pill or liquid.

Targeted therapy is a medication to help block the growth of new cells.

Radiation therapy is a medication to help block the growth of new cells. Radiation therapy is a method that uses radiation to get rid of the cancer. A stem cell transplant is putting healthy cells in the bone marrow to replace damaged cells. This is one of the procedures I will go through.

The doctor explains some of the symptoms of my treatment. My tummy will hurt and I will feel nausea. He says that these are the most common symptoms. He says I will not feel sick forever though.

I am going thorough my first systematic chemo. The doctor gives me an IV, which is just liked a small shot. It's not that bad. The doctor says I will have many more of these. He explains that I will feel sick for a bit. For the most part I am feeling okay.

I am going thorough radiation therapy now. They put me on a table that slides into a scanner. The scanner is using radiation to kill the cancer cells in my body. The doctor says I need this to prepare for my stem cell transplant.

Afterwards, I'm feeling a little bit nauseous.

Today I am going through my stem cell transplant procedure.

I am going to get new, healthy cells.

Lots of kids have had Leukemia and survived... You can too!!

My birthday has come around again.

People are excited about their birthday because of presents and cake. My birthday means that I have won.

Keep fighting so you can blow out the candles next year.

This book is by the Cake 4 Kidz team: Anne Seaman, Grace Fitzgerald, Henry Millar, Rachel Roberts, Lukas Maggos and Mia Walvoord Edited by: Kim Bell Created in: Book creator Illustrations by: Anne Seaman, Grace Fitzgerald, Mia Walvrood and Rachel Roberts