The Diagnosis

On Wednesday, November 4th my life changed forever after I received the devastating dreadful diagnosis of Acute Monocytic Leukemia (AML). June Wolfe (me) – the person who is never sick and who hardly ever took even one aspirin for a headache – has leukemia! Telling you that I went into shock after hearing the diagnosis is putting it mildly. Fortunately, my wonderful friend Sandy Blake was with me. I could hear her in the background – cursing!

Here’s how it came about. As I look back in hindsight I realize I had not been feeling my best for awhile. I remember standing at the bottom of the steps at work (two flights that I ran up and down every day for years) began looking intimidating and it would be a struggle to walk up especially if I had something to carry. Strange, but not something that made me stop and think that I was sick. On October 22nd I drove up to Atlanta with Steve to see my new granddaughter, Sophia Madeleine, and had a swollen tongue and my gums would bleed when I brushed. Hmmmm! My energy level was low the entire weekend. Coming home on the plane I felt feverish.

Being me (it will go away if I ignore it), I continued my normal routine, never getting sicker or getting better, but on Tuesday, November 3rd I went to the dentist to see about my black and blue and bleeding gums. Dr. Courtney said that he had never seen anything like it and he felt it was not a dental issue. On the way home I went to a walk in clinic where they tested my blood. That evening they called me to say that the blood work came back so wacky (their words exactly) they thought it was a “lab error” and asked that I retake the test so I went back to the clinic for another blood draw. In the morning they called to tell me it was NOT an error and that I needed to see a Hematologist immediately – that it was urgent. Fear is beginning to creep in!

Dr. Alan Koletsky, who I had never met before this moment, had to deliver the bad news to me - ACUTE MONOCYTIC LEUKEMIA. Ok so now I know – Acute Monocytic Leukemia! What does that mean? What do I do now? “Well,” Dr. Koletsky said, “you need to go to the hospital immediately.” Can I go home and pack a few items for the hospital? “Yes, you can go home to pack a few items but be at the hospital in one hour!”

Sandy and I are driving home now – not really saying anything. I mean, what is there to say except f—k, how did I get here? Sandy interrupts the silence by saying, “You had better call your kids!” OMG I have to TELL my kids!

We got to the hospital at 7:00 p.m. and I was admitted shortly after at least 20 vials of blood were taken. It was really weird being admitted to the oncology ward. That I had cancer was still NOT computing in my brain. Sandy stayed until I was settled in. There wasn’t much going on. Still all so new! What will tomorrow bring? Could this be a mistake? Please God! Make this a mistake!