When I received the diagnosis in December 2015, that I had Acute Myeloid Leukemia, it was quite a surprise. I had a series of seemingly minor ailments during the summer and fall of 2015. I also felt tired much of the time, but I had no reason to think “cancer”, since I had no direct family history. Leading up to the diagnosis, I saw several different doctors to treat my ailments, but it took one doctor to run the right blood test to determine what was wrong. I was immediately admitted to Henry Ford hospital, right before Christmas. My treatment plan included three rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. I spent a total of 66 days in the hospital and 15 months away from work.
Today, I am CANCER FREE. Every day I open my eyes, I celebrate how I have been given a new perspective on life and family. I feel blessed that I will be able to spend future Christmases with my family. My hope is that by sharing my story, it might help others who have family or friends who were diagnosed, or help someone who received the news themself. Here is my story.
December 16, 2015 marked the start of the next chapter of my life. On that day, I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I was shocked, surprised, scared, but most of…
I checked in to Henry Ford Hospital on December 17th. Most of that day was just spent getting acclimated to the new environment. I had a private room with a…
On Saturday, December 19th the doctors started my chemotherapy. It was a 7+3 regimen, meaning that I would receive one type for 7 straight days along another type for the…
Thanks again for your continued prayers and support. THANK YOU to Bro. and Mrs. Tounsil for the wonderful gift! Just want to let everyone know that my 7 days of…
Because I wasn’t eating much, I had been drinking Ensure. The funny thing about Ensure was that it was the only thing that tasted GOOD. Chocolate Ensure tasted just like…
I was able to get untethered from my IV pole for about 3 hours yesterday. Having a line attached restricts how I can move and sleep. It also restricts me…
Today my hair started to fall out. I first noticed when hair started falling in my face, and I noticed small hairs on my pillow. I found that I was…
Today I felt tired for most of the day. I seemed to have gotten a good night’s sleep the night before – I went to bed around 10 pm and…
Still waiting for my blood counts to go back up. The last few nights I’ve gotten better sleep with less frequent trips to the bathroom, but my appetite hasn’t been…
I’ve been having issues with eating and appetite over the past few days. I’ve been on a number of different antibiotics and antifungals since the fever spikes in December. I…
I’ve been off antibiotics for 24 hours now, untethered from the IV pole. I’m enjoying the freedom of being able to walk around and flip around in the bed without…
Given the fact that my counts still weren’t going up, the doctors made the decision to start giving me Neupogen injections. This drug is designed to stimulate the growth of…
Today, Cathy, my Nurse Practitioner, came into my room and said what I have been waiting to hear – “How would you feel about going home today?” While my neutrophil…
Ava is on her way to the Southfield Daddy-Daughter Dance. Thanks to my dad Phillip Williams Sr. for being her escort in my absence.
Today I checked in for my second hospital stay, for consolidation chemotherapy. This is the second step in treating Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) before my stem cell transplant. I am…
I checked in on Tuesday, March 8th for my transplant. My first stop was Intervention Radiology to have a trifusion catheter installed in my chest. This one has three ports…
Today was the day we’ve been working toward for the last 3 months. The BMT team wasn’t able to provide a time in the morning, so I tried to keep…
The last couple of days have been “interesting”. I was never quite able to get to sleep before my transplant, and just attributed the insomnia to excitement/anticipation. Well, Day 0…
Today was a much better day. Although I didn’t get a lot of sleep, I felt much more rested and a lot less cranky. I was able to spend more…
The mucositis has been picking up. I started getting some tenderness near the back-bottom of my mouth. My tongue and throat has become more tender. I then started feeling some…
The issues with my throat escalated quickly. With each swallow it felt like razer blades were cutting across my throat. Each time I attempted to swallow a pill or drink…
The throat pain finally began to subside. I noticed in the middle of the night that I could swallow without the sharp pain. The pain changed more to irritation and…
Happy Easter! Another major holiday spent in the hospital, to go along with Christmas, New Years Day and MLK Day. When I took my shower this morning I was able…
Good news. My counts are going up and I should only be here for 2-3 more days. I was taken off the Prograf IV and the antibiotic IVs. The TPN…
Today I was discharged! In the morning I met with doctors, then I met with the Pharmacy technician. I was given a pillbox with 7 different prescriptions, 5 required and…
Today was the first day of home nursing care. Part of my treatment involves getting magnesium infusions. The Prograf that I take as anti-rejection medicine causes me to have a…
DAY 22. The sensitivity in my hands is diminishing, but they are starting to peel like crazy. I’ve also started having gut issues again, having to go every 2 hours…
Today was my birthday. My parents and cousin Robert stopped by. I was pretty run down for most of the day, so definitely not one of my favorite birthdays. The…
I was able to get out of the house for a little bit today. My parent stopped by, and we all got in Lisa’s car and drove around downtown for…
The bumps seem to be spreading down my chest. They now appear on both sides of my chest down to my chest plate. Still no itch. The doctors prescribed a…
Day 1 This weekend I started having stomach pain. I also started having more frequent bowel movements. The pain eventually became fairly constant, and very painful. It would often have…
I ended up being discharged from Henry Ford Hospital on May 9. What I was told would be 24-48 hours in the hospital turned into nine days! My hands are…
June 2nd was Ava’s birthday. We went to Red Lobster. I got permission from my doctors to try some lobster bisque. I was able to eat it, so now I…
July 4, 2016 I had some food success today. Lisa and the kids went to the Michigan RibFest in Pontiac. They brought back some rib tips and I was able…
Yesterday was election day. First day back to work. I spent a few hours in the office getting my laptop set up and gathering up papers and what-not I took…
Today is a very surreal day for me. One year ago, on December 16, 2015, at about this time of the day, I was heading to an appointment with an…
It took 29 years, but I finally was able to get out on the slopes again. I was on the Southfield High Ski Team, and even earned three varsity letters,…
I was nominated to be a candidate in the 2018 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) Man of the Year campaign!!! This 10-week fundraising competition is being held in honor of…
I was recently nominated as a candidate in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man of the Year campaign.
Today we celebrated the end of a successful campaign for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Man and Woman of the Year fundraiser. My team, Team Valiant, which was made up…
Happy New Year! Yesterday was a special day for me and my family. We had an opportunity to meet my stem cell donor Trent Martin and his wife Meredith in…
Seven years ago I received the stem cell transplant that saved my life, the cure for my cancer – Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I take this day each year to thank…
Today is my 8th birthday! Eight years ago I received the stem cell transplant that saved my life, the cure for my cancer – Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I take this…
This video from October 2018 includes excerpts from an interview conducted by Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan for the 50th anniversary celebration of their cancer institute.