Dear Voornaam, As a nurse, Karin was all too aware of the challenges ahead following an acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) diagnosis. In her case, the doctor’s informed her that without treatment, she might have a week to live. Read Karin’s blog Shortly before a trip to Tunisia, Karin began feeling unwell. Starting from a sore throat and rashes, her symptoms quickly escalated whilst she was away. After returning home, blood tests and later bone marrow analysis confirmed she had acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), a subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). AML is a fast-progressing form of blood cancer in the white blood cells, a key component of the immune system helping to fight infections. Fortunately, following numerous blood transfusions, and chemotherapy, Karin went into remission. To keep her cancer at bay, Karin was offered a maintenance drug as part of a clinical trial and after two years of treatment, she was given the all clear. |