A Guest Post by Bethany Bugay
People are sending me emails about Robin Roberts from ABC’s Good Morning America Show. And I wanted to respond directly.
Dear Robin:
I read about your diagnosis of MDS. “MDS” (“myelodysplastic syndromes”) is a very broad category, and it’s probably a preliminary diagnosis. Thanks to genetic studies over the last 10 years, doctors can define which type of pre-leukemia you have, very precisely. They can and will come up with a more precise diagnosis.
Along with the precise definition of the disease, there are a number of new drugs which can very precisely address the specific genetic malady that you are dealing with. These drugs are better than plain old chemotherapy, but they’ll also continue to break down your body. Because this affects your blood, you may feel fatigued and lethargic. You may not be able to control your own body. Your immune system will become compromised, and you’ll become susceptible to infections, of the skin, intestines, and other things.
All of this is before they begin the “conditioning” phase, of radiation and chemotherapy.
You have a very good chance of beating this disease. There is a “cure,” in a procedure they call a bone marrow transplant, or a stem cell transplant. But it won’t be an easier path than the one you tracked with your breast cancer treatment, I’m sure.
You are already ahead of the game, because your sister is already able to be a donor. For me, the donor selection process was very long and complicated, because the doctors had to search for a “matched unrelated donor” (“MUD”).
It is all very scary even if you know that the doctors are prepared, (very prepared) for anything that comes along.
You are a very brave and strong woman. For you, this is round two of a battle with a type of cancer. You are more aware than most others what you’ll have to go through again because of your battle with breast cancer.
You said you plan to continue working. Fear of dying can be horrific. In some ways, it’s true, that work can distract you from your troubles. But the old saying is also true: nobody fighting cancer wishes that they had spent more time at the office.
You also said, “I will miss a chunk of time.” I expect that you might also lose a piece of your identity. You are a go getter, but you may not ultimately have total control of her body. No matter that you have had cancer before. To replay a hardship will maybe be harder because the expectations will differ. It may be depressing, and more emotional.
The “transplant” itself is uneventful. But when your new stem cells drain into your system, that’s when the true war to survive begins. Your body can feel completely debilitated. The process to build up body systems feels like coming back from the dead. But you are going to do it again.
We pray for your strength to exceed what you had before, and for you to never, ever give up. Once the main battle is over, life is sweet again. You will come out of the dark, and you will even enjoy things that bothered you before, like standing in long lines at Wal-Mart, or even driving in heavy traffic again.
We pray for peace for you, and help for one going into a long darkness.
Bethany Bugay