Day 1

So, my treatment started today. This will be split into 5 stages: induction, consolidation, interim maintenance, delayed intensification and maintenance.

Today was the first day of my induction period. This should last 5 weeks and by the end of it, we all hope and pray that I reach remission and that the cancerous cells will have significantly reduced in number.

The layout of my treatment will be a complicated one - probably the most complicated leukemia treatment that the hospital are providing at the moment. As ALL is most common in children, an occurrence in my age group is a little unusual, so the treatment methods have to take this into account. Throughout the induction period I will be taking steroids on a daily basis as well as having chemotherapy drugs, specialist enzymes, and lumber punctures at various times.

Remember last time that I wrote that giving a bone marrow sample was one of the most painful experiences ever? Well I was wrong - giving a bone marrow sample followed by having a lumber puncture immediately afterwards is one of the most painful experiences ever. I insisted on being sedated this time as I struggled so much with the last bone marrow sample. So, actually giving the sample this time didn't really bother me at all. Being sedated is a little weird, you can feel something strange happening at the time, but you seem to forget about it two minutes later.

However, it took the doctor 5 attempts to successfully complete the lumber puncture, as she couldn't find any fluid around my spine. Finally, she succeeded, but by that time most of the sedation had worn off and I was in a bit of pain. Despite the pain though, at the moment I actually feel really happy. I was so nervous about starting treatment today and, even though it may have been painful, I got through it.

At the end of the treatment my back was covered in iodine, so I look like someone really inexperienced has attempted to give me a fake tan. But I'm still smiling.