Cass’s battle with AML

08/13/2025

🚨COLUMBUS UPDATE 🚨

*My blood counts have returned to normal!!! (White, red, and platelets) 🎉
*My liver numbers are a little higher than normal but I was on 600mg ibuprofen after the dental work I had done.
*No med changes, they say you don’t fix something that’s not broken.
* I don’t return to Columbus for 6 months and I don’t have to get local bloodwork done.
*This is the longest they have let me go without bloodwork or a Cbus appointment.
* I will be having a bone density test and lung function test when I return to Columbus in February!!

06/01/2025

A day to celebrate those who fought and survived and to encourage those still fighting to continue!

05/18/2025

04/16/2025

Columbus update:
I caught a lot of hell from Dr. Choe for neglecting myself. She demanded that I see a dentist at OSU immediately, OBGYN appointment scheduled before leaving the office, Bloodwork being scheduled in Zanesville, and Counseling via video call.
NO I cannot have MMR vaccine and if TM or HS get any live vaccines I am not be in contact with them for a week.
No hematology appointment again until August.
Bloodwork was awesome.
I now have a team of social workers setting up my appointments and finding me local care with doctors that are comfortable dealing with me and my extensive medical history.
No more being looked at like I’m not from this planet!!
Today was an excellent day !!!!!

02/19/2025

COLUMBUS UPDATE:
My bloodwork is excellent.
Liver function is stable.
I got an emergency referral to an eye specialist in Columbus for the GVHD in my eyes. They are super dry, itchy, and sometimes my vision gets blurry.
Nick said continue with Restasis drops OTC gel drops, hot or cold compresses.
Still unable to return to the work force.
Next check up is scheduled for April 16th.
Overall, I’m doing and feeling great!!

11/20/2024

COLUMBUS UPDATE: 📣 📣📣
I saw occupational therapy and physical therapy today.
OT finally gave me a diagnosis for the issues I have with the wrist and thumb I messed up golfing months ago: De Quervain’s Tendonitis.
I’m back wearing a brace and going to OT in Coshocton once it’s scheduled.
PT said I am stronger than I was a month ago.
Dr. Choe was a little upset that I weaned myself off Rezurock because it made me feel like dog water. In my defense, she wasn’t listening to anything I was saying a month ago at my last appointment. 🤷‍♀️
Bloodwork was excellent. Liver enzymes are stable.
Flu shot in one arm, pneumonia shot in the other. Tomorrow is gonna be fun! 🤦‍♀️
No Columbus until February!!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

10/23/2024

Columbus appointment update: Blood work was good.
I saw Dr. Choe instead of my NP Nick this time and I do not feel like she even has a clue what goes on with me. Travis and I left this appointment confused and upset.
She was trying to prescribe more medications for things I don’t agree with, giving me no explanation and wasn’t hearing anything I had to say about already being on one of these medications and it wrecking my liver function so I was taken off of it almost year ago……. Like wtf lady?! We aren’t doing this again, it was already done, it’s right there in my chart.
Secondly, I’m NOT going back on prednisone as a solution to my joint pain. I WILL SUFFER before I go through that BS again. I was weaned off of 40mg after transplant and it was horrible!!! I gained a massive amount of weight, retained water, and had really bad moon face. I am STILL struggling with my weight because of this!! Not to mention the withdrawals from long term steroid use is horrific!
She started asking me about depression, am I depressed? Hell yes I am! Who in their right mind wouldn’t be in my shoes?! Every single time I have to make that 2 hour trip to Columbus I’m depressed and my anxiety is sky high worrying constantly if I’m gonna get told my cancer is back. She says, I see here you were on Effexor XR, we can put you back on that if it helped or we can do lexapro. Umm. NO. We aren’t putting me back on that it wasn’t prescribed by you or prescribed for depression. I was taking it via my OBGYN for hot flashes and it didn’t help worth a s**t.
I honestly don’t know what to think, say, or do right now.
This is the worst experience I’ve had with Columbus and now I get to have anxiety for a solid month because I see this woman again in November. 🤷‍♀️
I apologize for the rant.
I really don’t know what to do with this buffet of WTF today.

09/18/2024

🚨Columbus Appointment Update!

*Bloodwork is great.
*I’ve gotten slightly out of breath recently so another pulmonary function test is scheduled for October and I have a prescription for an inhaler.
*It’s too early to see results from the new medication I started Saturday for this crazy joint pain and limited mobility.
*NO I am not allowed to return to work so I will be filing for disability again.
*Alcohol is OK in moderation. My doctor said that I have worked too hard to be here and he’s not going to tell me not to live my life, just don’t overdo it.
*Chair yoga, because I need a structured exercise routine and chasing TM doesn’t count.
*My immune system is still low so I need to be careful.
Overall, a good report!!!

09/17/2024

PSA: If you’re sick, think you might be sick, or have recently been exposed to someone who is sick please stay away from TM and ME.
We don’t want or need your germs!🦠🦠🦠🦠
🚨 (I AM STILL ON IMMUNE SUPPRESSION MEDICATION!!)🚨
🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒🤒
Cold, Flu, and Covid season is upon us, please use your brain, wash your hands, use sanitizer, don’t touch or kiss my granddaughter or any other child during this time.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. 👏👏👏👏

07/19/2024

Columbus appointment this morning did NOT go the way I was hoping but I am still cancer free!!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I was taken off a medication a couple weeks ago to see how my liver would tolerate being off it.
Apparently my liver is stupid because enzymes are too high again. 🤦‍♀️
I’m back on the liver protection medication as of today. I’m also scheduled August 21st to be a new patient at GVHD Clinic. (Graft vs host disease) If you’re unfamiliar with GVHD GOOGLE IT. I have it in my eyes, mouth, joints, and liver. The clinic appointment will open up opportunities for me to join drug trials and other treatment options for the GVHD. This will also allow treatment for my loss of range of motion and the never ending pain in my joints.
Dr. Nick said my blood work looks great and he is very happy with how I’m doing.
However, I’m NOT happy about more Columbus trips, because finding someone to take me is like pulling teeth. 🙄
I’m feeling a little discouraged today.

04/23/2024

2 years ago, yesterday, April 22nd 2022 was my cancer diagnosis.
I had a sore throat, a sore on my tongue, and a swelled up lymph node in my neck.
Luckily, Coshocton Emergency Room did bloodwork and then shipped me via ambulance to OSU The James Cancer Center.
AML, Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
I did 4 rounds of chemotherapy, went into remission and then did a 5th round of intense chemotherapy before my bone marrow transplant on October 21st 2022.
I’m still here, cancer free, living my best life!!
I will never forget the fear and anxiety of being told I had cancer but I’m here to tell you it’s a diagnosis not a sentence.
Cancer will never be what defines me as a person!!!

04/13/2024

Columbus appointment today was a little surprise and unplanned but all is good!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Travis is starting a new job with a different company on the 23rd and that means I will be without insurance for 90 days. 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️
My doctor demanded to see me prior to the job switch to run my labs and check in with me about some of the issues I’ve been having as of lately.😞
Bloodwork was excellent.🎉🎉
I have a cold so I’m being treated for that.🤧🤧🤧
They increased the dose of Jakafi and stopped the magnesium.
The reason for the Jakafi change is due to the joint pain I’m having in every joint in my body. They seem to think that I have GVHD in my joints. (Graft vs host disease)
The pain is tolerable with narcotics. 💊💊💊💊
Once I have insurance again I will be sent to GVHD clinic to open up new options for treatment. 😊
My doctors are completely comfortable not seeing me again until JULY!!! 🇺🇸
Still in remission and still smooth sailing for me!! ❤️❤️