AML

a sacred place

my body does not feel like a temple.
the goddess it once served has retreated.

My Body is a Jerk

My body is a jerk. A common refrain of mine and an easy short-hand to answer why something happened. Why do you have to go to the bathroom so often, Dil? My body is a jerk. Why did your spine get compression fractures? Because my body is a jerk. Why are you still testing positive for COVID-19 six months after you got over it and have no symptoms? Because my body is a big, fat jerk.

Dear Cancer: Twisted Symbiosis

Dear Cancer,

When you made my blood your home, I understood you. I always wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere. Walking through my middle school during overcast January days, I kept my head down, unsure of who thought of me as a friend or as a convenient distraction from their own loneliness.

An AYA’s Journey Through AML, Academia, and Advocacy

At the young age of 21, just a few weeks into my first semester of grad school, life took a drastic turn. A diagnosis that no one expects—Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with the FLT3 mutation. In the midst of textbooks and lectures, my world shifted to hospital rooms and treatment plans. The words “you have cancer” reverberated in my ears, altering the trajectory of my life.

Fight Stubborn with Stubborn

One day I’m a normal 22-year-old girl, living and working in a new city. You hear awful things, you see crazy storylines on TV and in the movies, and you never imagine these bad things could ever happen to you. As humans, we take our health for granted until you realize how valuable it really is. 

In March of 2021, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer. Everything paused, everything was turned upside down, and everything was terrifying.

New Year, New Me…

New year, new me… I have always absolutely hated that saying. However, this year I literally am a “new me.” Most of my cells have been killed and replaced to generate a “new me.” Living most of six months in the hospital for intensive chemotherapy has formed a “new me.”

The Friend That Changed My Life

When I was first diagnosed, I never wanted to leave my room. It wasn’t because I didn’t necessarily feel good. It was because I didn’t want to meet people. At 15, I understood that not all the children on my floor were going to survive.

Facing Your Mortality in Split Seconds

When discussing the most consequential moments in anyone’s cancer journey, you hear about the initial diagnosis, relapses, or the surprisingly debilitating side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.