Acute myeloid leukemia
In the second week of our vacation, things went really wrong. I just kept feeling worse, so I called the emergency doctors. They advised me to go to a hospital and have blood drawn. So, we drove to the academic hospital with a pediatric oncology department near our vacation spot. In France, you get laughing gas if you find injections scary. So, it went well in one go. In the evening, we already got the result: Leukemia. What kind, was not clear yet.
I can't remember well how I felt then. Someone once said that you can push your emotions away when you try to be strong. I think I did that and therefore pushed away a large part. I always thought cancer was one kind of disease. Not that there were several types of cancer, like leukemia. The realization, and actually the shock, came later.
The Princess Máxima Center
In the French hospital, I immediately received several transfusions at night. I had to stay for three days. Then an ambulance came from the Netherlands to pick me and my mother up and take us to the Princess Máxima Center. Ten hours there, ten hours back. My father had left a little earlier by car to get things. I had never heard of the Máxima Center before. But once I was inside, I was amazed. I found it very exciting. Also, at the Máxima Center, we were told what kind of leukemia I had: acute myeloid leukemia. Compared to acute lymphoblastic leukemia, it is very rare.
We got a parent-child room on the third floor. My first chemotherapy started almost immediately. If you have acute myeloid leukemia, you get a kind of chemo bomb of five treatments. It must be gone after that. I got very sick from the first treatment. 42 degrees fever, days in a row. And a skin and intestinal infection. After that, I could go home for two days. That was very nice. Then the second treatment started already. Fortunately, that one was much easier. I haven't been so sick anymore, but after the third treatment, we had to stop because my bone marrow function was deteriorating rapidly. Fortunately, we could stop then because no cancer cells were visible anymore.
Special moments in the hospital
In total, I had to stay in the Máxima Center for seven weeks. I often sat in the 'egg chairs' at the Park on the third floor. You have a very nice view, and it's quiet there. I also remember Christmas. My nurse came into the room very enthusiastically with all kinds of lights around 06:30. So funny, but also so early... And, oh yes, during the start of the month of childhood cancer,
Anita Meijer performed in the auditorium. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there myself, but I could send her a question, and I could watch everything on the TV in my room. I asked her to sing "Why tell me why," and she did. So beautiful and fun...
I got a lot from my friends who visited regularly. One friend wanted to celebrate my birthday, but then I suddenly got cancer, so that didn't happen. To cheer me up, she sent me videos of the chickens she took care of every day; that was very funny. My friends and mentor also helped me with school. I got a lot of cards and gifts, even from people I didn't really know.
One year later
Now, almost one year later, I mainly notice that I missed a lot of school. The level is quite high. Yesterday, I felt sick because it's all so much. Fortunately, my mentor is very flexible and let me pass. By the way, those exams from the exam week just before I got the diagnosis, I passed them all! I also don't mind going to school now. I know what I have. Because I almost lost it. And my fear of needles, I'm way beyond that now. I've been pricked so many times... My tactic is: Listen to loud music on my headphones and squeeze the hand of my father or mother. That worked pretty well the last few times.
There is one thing I want to tell because I found it annoying. I write stories and poems. But during my time at Máxima, I had writer's block. Now I'm picking it up again.’
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In the second week of our vacation, things went really wrong. I just kept feeling worse, so I called the emergency doctors. They advised me to go to a hospital and have blood drawn. So, we drove to the academic hospital with a pediatric oncology department near our vacation spot. In France, you get laughing gas if you find injections scary. So, it went well in one go. In the evening, we already got the result: Leukemia. What kind, was not clear yet.
I can't remember well how I felt then. Someone once said that you can push your emotions away when you try to be strong. I think I did that and therefore pushed away a large part. I always thought cancer was one kind of disease. Not that there were several types of cancer, like leukemia. The realization, and actually the shock, came later.
The Princess Máxima Center
In the French hospital, I immediately received several transfusions at night. I had to stay for three days. Then an ambulance came from the Netherlands to pick me and my mother up and take us to the Princess Máxima Center. Ten hours there, ten hours back. My father had left a little earlier by car to get things. I had never heard of the Máxima Center before. But once I was inside, I was amazed. I found it very exciting. Also, at the Máxima Center, we were told what kind of leukemia I had: acute myeloid leukemia. Compared to acute lymphoblastic leukemia, it is very rare.
We got a parent-child room on the third floor. My first chemotherapy started almost immediately. If you have acute myeloid leukemia, you get a kind of chemo bomb of five treatments. It must be gone after that. I got very sick from the first treatment. 42 degrees fever, days in a row. And a skin and intestinal infection. After that, I could go home for two days. That was very nice. Then the second treatment started already. Fortunately, that one was much easier. I haven't been so sick anymore, but after the third treatment, we had to stop because my bone marrow function was deteriorating rapidly. Fortunately, we could stop then because no cancer cells were visible anymore.
Special moments in the hospital
In total, I had to stay in the Máxima Center for seven weeks. I often sat in the 'egg chairs' at the Park on the third floor. You have a very nice view, and it's quiet there. I also remember Christmas. My nurse came into the room very enthusiastically with all kinds of lights around 06:30. So funny, but also so early... And, oh yes, during the start of the month of childhood cancer,
Anita Meijer performed in the auditorium. Unfortunately, I couldn't be there myself, but I could send her a question, and I could watch everything on the TV in my room. I asked her to sing "Why tell me why," and she did. So beautiful and fun...
I got a lot from my friends who visited regularly. One friend wanted to celebrate my birthday, but then I suddenly got cancer, so that didn't happen. To cheer me up, she sent me videos of the chickens she took care of every day; that was very funny. My friends and mentor also helped me with school. I got a lot of cards and gifts, even from people I didn't really know.
One year later
Now, almost one year later, I mainly notice that I missed a lot of school. The level is quite high. Yesterday, I felt sick because it's all so much. Fortunately, my mentor is very flexible and let me pass. By the way, those exams from the exam week just before I got the diagnosis, I passed them all! I also don't mind going to school now. I know what I have. Because I almost lost it. And my fear of needles, I'm way beyond that now. I've been pricked so many times... My tactic is: Listen to loud music on my headphones and squeeze the hand of my father or mother. That worked pretty well the last few times.
There is one thing I want to tell because I found it annoying. I write stories and poems. But during my time at Máxima, I had writer's block. Now I'm picking it up again.’