A woman with leukemia wast told by doctors that she might not have survived if she had waited longer to get a blood test, she has revealed.
Clare Crossey, 35, from the town of Lurgan in Northern Ireland, was diagnosed with cancer in February 2018, after experiencing fatigue and feeling unwell, in addition to developing a rash on her chest and bruising in her legs, BelfastLive reported on Thursday.
Concerned, Crossey began searching online to understand more about her symptoms and was alarmed to discover that they resembled those seen in some forms of leukemia—a group of cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow.
After making this discovery, Crossey immediately made an appointment to see a doctor, but she said her suspicions were not taken seriously.
"I had a feeling in the back of my head that things weren't right," she told BelfastLive.
"The doctor obviously did not agree with my suspicions as I was given the number of the Samaritans help line, a prescription for beta blockers and told to make an appointment for the following Tuesday for blood tests. This was on a Friday and Tuesday seemed so far away."
On the Saturday, the woman woke up to find that her gums were bleeding and she had huge, swollen bruise on her thigh. She rang a local hospital and was told to visit the ER and get a blood test.
"A short time after arriving at the hospital, I received a blood test. The results came back very quickly and when both a doctor and nurse came to talk to me. I just knew it was serious," she said.
Crossey was eventually diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)—a type of blood cancer where the bone marrow makes a large number of abnormal blood cells. Bone marrow is the soft inner part of bones where new blood cells are produced.
AML is one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. But it is still relatively rare, accounting for only about 1 percent of all cancers, according to the American Cancer Society.
It tends to affect older people and is uncommon before the age of 45, with the average age of patients being around 68. But the disease can affect people of all ages, including children.
According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 20,240 new cases of AML were recorded in 2021.
The cancer can develop fairly quickly and usually needs to be treated as soon as possible after diagnosis.
Crossey began chemotherapy treatment immediately, with doctors telling her that if she had waited until the following Tuesday to get a blood test, she may not have survived.
The chemotherapy successfully cleared the cancer, but in December of 2018, tests revealed that it had returned.
"I was devastated," Crossey said. "I was re-admitted to hospital where I remained for three months, staying in quarantine in a stem cell room while receiving full body radiation and chemotherapy injections."
Doctors told her that she would need a stem cell transplant, which she finally received in April 2021.
She is currently at home, unable to work, and looking after her daughters, while visiting the hospital regularly for check-ups.
"I am so grateful to everyone who helped me, giving me more precious time with my girls," she said.
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