MICHAEL – “STAYING SAGER STRONG”
Imagine moving to a new city, being in line for a job promotion, preparing for a competitive tennis tournament and beginning the early stages of a serious relationship, and then being diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 27. This is what happened to Michael, now 30 years old, from Memphis, Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Alabama. His Leukemia diagnosis came out of nowhere, in May of 2017.
Seven months before Michael’s diagnosis, he got a great new job and relocated to Atlanta. His manager had let him know that he was in the process of promoting Michael. Things were also going well in Michael’s personal life. He had been dating an incredible girl for five months. Michael had also decided to get back into a competitive physical shape. When he was younger, Michael had been an extremely competitive junior tennis player even achieving a top 50 ranking in the South, at his level, at the age of 17. After moving to Atlanta, he decided to play competitive tennis again and joined an ALTA team. The weekend before Michael’s diagnosis, he played the number one doubles spot on his tennis team and won!
Michael became ill the weekend after the ALTA tennis tournament. He became jaundiced, could not eat and was vomiting. He eventually was diagnosed with B-Cell ALL Ph+. The cancer had spread to Michael’s liver and the doctor said his liver would fail in 48 hours. Without a healthy liver, Michael’s body would not be able to handle the chemotherapy. Without chemotherapy, nothing would stop the Leukemia. Doctors immediately gave Michael heavy steroids to help his liver. Thankfully, it worked! Michael then had to take a three-hour ambulance ride to another hospital to start chemotherapy and to eventually receive a stem cell transplant. He started the extremely tough Hyper CVAD chemotherapy regimen several days after his liver had recovered. A few weeks later, Michael was dismissed from the hospital. His body had reacted incredibly well to the chemo and he was in remission!!! It was Mother’s Day – what an incredible gift for his Mom!
During the summer, Michael completed five of the six required regimens of the Hyper CVAD. Doctors did not think he needed the sixth treatment because he was responding so well. On October 18, 2017, after 10 days of extremely harsh chemotherapy that is designed to kill almost every cell in the body and to destroy the body’s immune system, Michael received his new stem cells! He would then spend the required 100 days in and around the hospital so that he could be closely monitored. “Those 100 days were probably the hardest thing I have ever been through – mentally and physically,” Michael recalls. He was 6’1” and 185 pounds when he received his new stem cells but dropped down to 151 pounds during the 100 day monitoring period. Michael remembers his mother holding him up to help him walk. His daily mile walk was through a college campus. “At the age of 27, I was literally being held up by my mother walking amongst college kids who were living their best life; something I was doing just six years before – who would have thought?” Michael says. To mention a few things: Michael’s mom dressed him, helped him in and out of the shower, tied his shoes, cooked his meals and did his laundry full time – something she had not done for decades, something that is still very hard for her to even discuss.
Eighteen months after his diagnosis, Michael was able to return to work. Unfortunately, he had a relapse in the spring of 2020. However, Michael was back in deep molecular remission just 21 days after starting his new round of treatment! Currently, he is finishing preventative treatments. According to Michael, “I am feeling great, playing tennis, working full time, exercising and eating well!” Michael is proud of his tennis and academic accomplishments. He once qualified for junior tennis USTA Zonals. Michael was a top player in the South and was selected to represent the southern states in a team tennis format against other regions of the country. Several other players selected on Michael’s Southern Zonals team currently play professional tennis. Also, his club tennis team won a national bronze medal at the University of Alabama. Michael’s academic accomplishments include being in his high school Honor Society and on the Dean’s List in college.
Michael says he worked incredible hard for the above accomplishments and sometimes an exam or a big point in a tennis match seemed almost overbearing if he did not score as well as he had hoped or lost the point. However, those things seemed almost irrelevant after his diagnosis and uncertain future. Michael says he will never forget the day the doctor told him to immediately get more blood tests because he probably had cancer. Michael recalls, “I will also never ever forget the feeling that swept through my body when my doctor told my family and me my diagnosis, and that my liver had 48 hours before it would fail. My sister, who is an oncology NP, burst into tears because she knew what all this meant, and she knew what I would inevitably go through. I had no idea what this all really meant. My point is that everything since that day has felt like an accomplishment – completing all treatments, simply walking a mile on days when I would rather stay in bed while physically leaning on my mom, playing tennis again, not wanting to eat because my tongue was so raw because my own teeth grinded raw spots along the sides of it and the inside of my cheeks but eating anyways, adopting a puppy, returning to Atlanta to live on my own and returning to work, etc. The everyday things are what mean the most at this point. I love the advice ‘enjoy the little things.’”
Michaels recommends that cancer patients talk about their struggles with friends, family, strangers or other patients. “It might seem strange at first,” Michael shared. “Actually, this entire thing is strange – there is no right or wrong for what makes YOU feel comfortable. My closest friends and family members realize how much it helps me to rant some days. This is why they are your best friends. This is why you have loved ones. Use them! They want to help.” Michael also suggests movies, books, podcasts, streaming shows, Xbox, walking, drawing, painting or a new hobby may help cancer patients cope with their struggle. He says work (if you are able) could be a good distraction. Michael adds, “Read advice and success stories from others, then make it your own. I would also advise to not read ‘horror’ stories that people post about their experience. This is a massive waste of time and energy, in my opinion. Plus, who knows if the stories are even completely true? A positive outlook, healthy diet and exercise are the best medicines second to chemo. These can sometimes be the hardest things to accomplish. Just remember the disease wants you to quit. It wants you to not eat healthy, to not exercise and to not have a positive attitude, so it can win – DON’T!!”
As Michael moves forward with his life and looks toward the future, he wants to accomplish the goals that Leukemia interrupted. He wants to get in shape to play in a tennis tournament, get married and have a family. Michael has already accomplished a few of his goals which include getting a puppy, returning to work and he continues to work towards all goals. Additionally, now that he has personally battled Leukemia, Michael wishes to help others in any way possible.
“This battle is your own,” said Michael. “It will take a toll on your family, friends, loved ones and everyone around you. They will be there to help, but at the end of the day, it is you vs. Leukemia. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve spent 3+ weeks in the hospital without visitors because of this pandemic. But I went through all this 3 years ago with family at my side. I cannot imagine how much more difficult it would be if I were just diagnosed for the first time. The mental battle during those days is so tough. So, you must find what works for you and have everyone around you help you get there. Find a doctor and nursing staff you are willing to trust with your life! If things go as planned, great! If not, you better be comfortable with whoever is by your side. I also heavily advise to seek second or third opinions. This can be awkward, given your relationship with your doctor, but what if your doctor was in your shoes? Your doctor is very smart, he/she will understand. Plus, it is your life, NOT theirs. Humans make mistakes. What is wrong with confirming a life-threatening illness – Nothing!
Regardless of the diagnosis, every case is different. Your age? Marital status? Family? Career path? Still in school? Retired? Trying to start a career? Height? Weight? Social status? Ethnicity? Religion? We are all different. What is not different is the aggressiveness and deadliness of your disease. Cancer does not fight fair; therefore, you must not fight fair. Use all your resources. Do not be afraid to ask for help (I was stubborn about this for a while). There are people out there that are willing to help. More importantly, there are people out there that WANT to help and that have the resources to help. Use them. You will lose many battles along the way. You will feel alone. You will worry about the results from your next blood test. Or worry about missing out on life. Or how rough will the next treatment be? Those things are normal. I still worry about all of them. But do not let those affect your overall strength. I re-emphasize, find what works for you (talking to people, music, movies, streaming shows, reading, drawing, calling your best friends, calling L&LS, etc.) and do not be afraid to use at any cost. I will admit, it is easier said than done. But it is doable – I did it, I am currently doing it, and you can too. While this diagnosis is extremely frightening and some of my advice may be frightening as well – just always remember, this disease is curable! #StaySagerStrong!!!”
#TEAMMICHAEL #OurWhy — what is YOUR why?
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