Acute Myeloid Leukemia Survivor

It’s okay to have a down day, just don’t unpack and stay there

Kathleen Packard, 58, resolved to be in control of her acute myeloid leukemia (AML) journey. Surrounded by an incredible support system and a trusted medical team, she reached remission and is living a healthy, joyful life. She hopes the lessons she learned will help other people facing AML.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is terrifying because it comes on so quickly. I went to the emergency room with what I thought was indigestion, and I left with a very serious blood cancer diagnosis.

The “acute” in AML is what makes it so hard to absorb. I had to make treatment decisions so quickly. Fortunately, I had a trusted cancer center in my backyard. Though I felt it was the right place for me, my niece who is a nurse practitioner had my blood test results sent to another hospital to confirm the diagnosis and recommended treatment.

After the second opinion confirmed the diagnosis and treatment plan, I began chemotherapy. I felt fine the first week. On the 8th day, the chemotherapy kicked in like a thunderbolt. I developed nearly every side effect possible, including painful sores in my mouth and on my esophagus. I lost every bit of my hair. I also lost a lot of weight and then gained back even more. I discovered adding cranberry juice to water took away the metallic taste and made it bearable to drink the water I needed.

Fortunately, I went into remission after chemotherapy. How-ever, additional treatment would be required to keep the AML from coming back. A stem cell transplant provided the best chance at curing my leukemia. We found a perfect match in a wonderful young man from Germany and began to prepare for it.

My husband Mark found a new apartment that became my home for a year. We’d lived in our home for 27 years and raised our three children there, but it was big and old and a fresh, clean environment was preferable for the transplant.

The transplant itself was easy. But, pre-transplant blood work showed I had a genetic mutation known as FLT3. My doctor explained that it was the reason my AML was so aggressive. She was involved in a clinical trial that was testing a tyrosine kinase inhibitor designed to inhibit the mutated cells from growing, and I decided to join after finishing the transplant.

I wasn’t scared to try the trial because I knew scientists had spent a great deal of time cultivating the drug. I trusted my doctor and was confident she wouldn’t offer me an option that wasn’t worth considering. And, my grandkids were my inspiration. I had waited a long time for grandkids, and I’d made up my mind that we were going to have Sunday dinners. I would fight to be around for those.

I was on the trial for a year, and it was successful. My last bone marrow biopsy showed no signs of the FLT3 mutation.

Getting into the right mindset set the pace for how things went for me. I had ups and downs, but I learned not to look too far ahead and just take one day at a time. I told myself that the calmer I stayed, the better it would go, and it was true.

Like my anniversary, the date I was diagnosed is something I’ll never forget. But it’s like giving birth. I don’t remember the pain. Instead, I remember the kindness of others. I remember that Mark, our family and five of my dearest friends gave up so much of their lives to help me survive. I think about how their lives intertwined because of me, and how they gave me the courage to know that even though it was a very tough battle, it was one I could win. And I did.