By Bethany Shenberger
Staff Writer
Everyone knows about cancer, but how many of us can say that we know someone with a serious and very rare cancer? Unfortunately, I can say that I do. Even though I have not known this person for long, my heart and prayers go out to her family.
Cancer is hard enough to deal with, but being told that you have bone marrow cancer is devastating. Bone marrow cancer is a very rare and extremely painful type of cancer. This type of cancer affects every part of the body because bone marrow is one of the main factors affecting your cells.
“Donor marrow usually comes from someone in the cancer patient’s family.”
The worst part of having bone marrow cancer is the chemotherapy, also known as chemo, and possibility of having to have a bone marrow transplant. The chemotherapy is used to kill the cancer cells, but it does have negative effects. Chemo lowers the immune system making cancer patients susceptible to catching other sicknesses and making it harder to recover. Chemo also causes hair loss, which can be devastating to a teenage girl. However, the most painful thing that could happen to a bone marrow cancer patient is to undergo a bone marrow transplant.
A bone marrow transplant involves a long needle being inserted in through the muscle (usually the thigh), half way through the bone to the center were the marrow resides. The first needle removes the cancerous marrow and a second needle replaces it with the donor marrow.
Donor marrow usually comes from someone in the cancer patient’s family; commonly the donor is a sibling. In order for the marrow to be donated, the donor has to go through a series of tests to determine if they are a match.
The person I know has been through chemotherapy and could possibly need a bone marrow transplant. But in spite of all of this, she has stayed strong and optimistic. I admire her for her strength and perseverance through her battle.
For more information on cancer and ways to help those with cancer, visit The American Cancer Society online.
