I'm sorry to hear about your brother, my son was 20 when dx'd with T cell ALL 12/05, eight months into treatment he relapsed in the brain and required a bone marrow transplant.  Today he is working full time and goes to college full time.  The treatment is hard, and can be long but your brother can get through this.  I found valuable information on these boards, from others who have gone through this.  Let us know what type your brother has and I'm sure you will find help here on all issues that come up.

God Speed,

Sue

I am 21 i live in baltimore i got diagnosed right around my birthday which is july 16 2009 I was suppose to go to vegas with friends but I couldn't because I had chemo monday. Lucky for me I have one of the best friends in the world cause all I wanted to do was sit in the house and be depressed about my trip and my life but she dragged me out with a few other girlfriends and i had a really good time plus if i would have really done nothing and then looked back when i was like 30 that would have been the really depressing part. Basically even if you can't always do what you want to do or what everyone else is doing you should still do something that will make you HAPPY!!!

bcsPrincess

Its good that you have good friends! I turned 21 when I was going through chemo so there was no vegas for me or really going out because of all the medication I was on so I held a party at my grandparents house and everyone came and celebrated a great day with me. So you may have to spend some birthdays in chemo but its your spirit and staying happy that makes them so good. I spent 4 birthdays in chemo so just being happy changes how they turn out to be!

I was told also that I shouldn't not do a lot of things but I did them anyway. I lived my life as though I didn't have cancer. Staying happy and positve makes going through chemo a whole lot easier too!

Take care and I wish you luck during your chemo

Jessica

Hi everyone,

    I just turned 27 - and was diagnosed this past June (2009) with Atypical CML. I went in for a weight loss procedure (medical balloon implant into the stomach) and 3 days later my WBC went crazy. After 3 weeks it went into the high 30's and then into the high 50's.  It was taken out and they saw the Leukemia during a bone marrow biopsy. It does not respond to treatment of CML so I am on a different course than most that I've read on here (Gleevec)... The only options for me are Revlimid (a form of thalidomide) or a stem cell transplant.  Luckily the Revlimid is working.  Days  have been rough... I was married only 8 months before finding the cancer, and also was 7 weeks pregnant (I was unable to keep the baby due to the chemo, etc.) I had bouts where I was unable to walk due to the severe pain in my body and therefore hospitalized... My journey has been difficult, but I feel that it has changed my life for the better and has given me more compassion... I keep a Caring Bridge to help keep my family/friends/coworkers (I am unable to work right now due to the meds) informed and it is very theraputic to me.  I enjoy writing for me and everyone else, and enjoy reading peoples comments. I am optimistic.  I dont believe in the statistics, I will fight this and win.  I pray for each and every one of you to give you the strength and courage to get through this!  We are all young... we can do this!!

Jacquelyn

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jacquibuckley

Jacquelyn,

   I wasn't on gleevc either. I was on a different type of protocol. If you want you can re my story I have to pages. I wrote my Life with Leukemia and the other one is My life with Leukemia continued. I didn't have the same type of cancer that you have had I had a different type of Leukemia. I have to say documentaring everything is a good idea I have been doing that as well. I am working on a book myself. I was 19 when I was diagnosed and now I am 2 1/2 years out and having a baby. Positive attitude is the greatest thing you can do when going through something like this. its hard and difficult but you can get through it as long as you put your mind to it. I also lost my ability to walk for i think about 5 to 6 months. I could barley walk for my wedding day. Hope all is good with you and if you would like to talk I am here to talk.

Jessica

No I have a face book but I am from IL but if you want we can be friends.

I am 30 years old and my husband is 31 years old (he was 30 when he was diagnosed with AML May of this year).  We have 9 1/2 month old daughter.  He finished his consolidation treatment in July 2009 and has been in remission since.  He is having a BMT January of next year.  Please keep him and my family in your prayers.

I'm 25 years old and was diagnosed with ALL in March of 09. I've been married for 6 1/2 years and have twin 7year old boys and a 3year old girl. I spent about 4 months at Mayo whitich is 10 hours away from where I live. We rented an apt. there and my grandpa, husband and dad took turns staying with me there. My grandpa was there the majority of the time and my kids got to come visit but it was so hard going from working and being with my husband and kids everyday to not working and not getting to be with my family. We used skype so I could at least get to see my kids everyday but it wasnt the same as getting to be there caring for them. Its amazing though how close this has made my family. I started treatment in Fargo, ND in July and now just travel back and forth for my treatments so I get to be with my family which is great. My strength was really bad by the time I left Mayo I could barely walk because of some of the chemo but now am getting stronger I feel by the day. I just started maintenance therapy but had a bone marrow biopsy and it showed some leukemia cells still but they considered the biopsy inconclusive and I had to have another bmb not even a week later and am waiting for the results of that one. If it comes back bad then I will start yet another round of intense chemo with new drugs. Its nice to see that I'm not the only one around my age with cancer because all I have seen really are older people and little kids.