January 19 2007 Presented In High School Class Grade 9

Alexander Watchurst – Speech On Leukemia

A man walks into a doctor’s office. He looks normal and appears to be in good shape. Little does he know that the words he is about to hear from his doctor will change his life, he has cancer! Students, teachers, and judges, I am here to talk to you about a subject that I have lived through.  It is a terrible disease that I am afraid the world does not know enough about. I am here to talk to you about a particular type of cancer known as Leukemia.  This type of cancer affects the blood and certain parts of the body which most depend on blood, such as bone marrow. Leukemia is classified by the types of cells that are grouped together and their rate of cell growth. This is something that anyone can develop for no apparent reason. Leukemia is either acute or chronic. Acute Leukemia involves an overgrowth of very immature white blood cells. This condition is life threatening because there are not enough mature blood cells to prevent anemia, infection, and bleeding. Chronic Leukemia is also an overgrowth of immature cells, however people with this form of leukemia are not vulnerable to bleeding and infection and may live for many years prior to needing any treatment. 

 

There are many ways to treat Leukemia: chemotherapy, radiation, therapy, biological therapy, surgery, and finally a bone marrow transplant. These are not quick treatments and can take anywhere from weeks to years to complete. There are some unfortunate people who have tried every available treatment without success.  They are left with only one option, which is a Bone Marrow transplant. For this there must be a donor who contains the same blood type as the patient. In some cases viruses have been known to cause leukemia in animals, but the development of leukemia in humans is still unknown. Even though a virus may be involved Leukemia is not contagious. People with immune-system deficiencies appear to be at a greater risk, because of the body’s decreased ability to resist foreign cells. There is also evidence that people who have been treated for other types of cancer, using different types of chemotherapy or radiation, are susceptible to the development of Leukemia.

 

When you have Leukemia, your body loses things such as mature white blood cells and platelets. White blood cells are the cells that fight off germs.  Without these the person with leukemia is in danger of getting sick as long as the white blood cell count is down. Platelets are what keep you from bleeding out every time you get a cut! When you have Leukemia and you lose platelets this is why you bleed. The average length of time to treat Leukemia is one to three years, if on chemotherapy. Different cases of Leukemia are treated using different treatment plans called protocols.

 

When I was two and a-half years of age I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. This is the most common Leukemia among children. By the time we knew what was going on with me, my cancer had already advanced to the point, which placed me in a high-risk category. I was immediately transferred to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. At Sick Kid’s I was put on chemotherapy, as I was too young to have radiation. The Cardiac Surgeon placed a piece of metal in the right side of my chest.  It was called a port; the doctors would give me the medicine I needed through this, as it was a direct link to my heart.  This port was put in to administer the medication that I required and to prevent my veins from collapsing because of the high volume of needles that I would require in the three years of my treatment.

 

My medical records show that I received approximately 1,500 needles and 22 Lumbar punctures into my spine during my treatment.   When the average person gets a needle it is just a prick and the pain is gone.  When you get a flu shot you endure a short period of stinging and the pain is gone.  I can assure you that anyone who complains about pain and discomfort from having a flu shot never received chemotherapy. This medication is not pleasant at all. As the chemotherapy was entering my blood stream it would burn and sting the inside of my body. This was only the start of the pain though, as I was also given Lumbar punctures.  This is when a needle is administered to the lower part of the spine to allow the chemotherapy to penetrate the central nervous system. Thankfully this treatment is now always given when the patient is asleep. Unfortunately when I would wake up in recovery I would be very sick because of the chemotherapy.

 

     Another down side to receiving chemotherapy is that you lose your hair. People just don’t understand seeing a three or four year old child without hair.  As a result of my journey through Cancer I learned that there are things you must overcome in order to reach the goals you wish to achieve in life. I especially hope if you do have to fight through this terrible disease, the people outside of the hospital accept you for your personality and not what you look like.

 

     Remembering these words, I hope the next time someone from the Canadian Cancer Society comes knocking at your door, asking if you would like to make a donation, you pull out whatever you can give, even if that is just a single dollar. The money you give is a hope to cure cancer, a hope to save a life and a hope for the future. You can make a difference, but will you, it’s your choice.