Sav Neofitou - "Going through Leukaemia"

Hi..I'm Sav Neofitou, 14 years old at the moment here's my story & how it all began!...I was at primary school when it all started, in the afternoon our class was aloud to go on the adventure playground which had apparatus. i went on the slide and when i got down at the end i hit my back on the edge of the slide, i was screaming in so much pain! that my face went red and i was in lose of breath. So my friend helped me and i was sent to the medical room. They rang my mum at work to come and collect me. After once she arrived, we were on our way to A&E but i couldn't barely walk it was so painful! so my mum had to ring an ambulance, as she was worried. Then once we got there and seen the doctor they checked me and sent me home with painkillers. But the pain was just the same, and so we went back up the hospital A&E four times and they kept on sending me home with painkillers, they didn't help me at all! Then the fifth time we went up there they did a blood test, i was there until the morning i was tired as it was 2 am. We were still waiting for the blood test to come back. My mum knew something was wrong, she was getting worried. Then by the morning they took me to a children's ward where i had to stay for the mean time. i went back to sleep i was so tired, my mum had a bit of sleep but most of the time she couldn't sleep because of what's happened she was waiting anxiously for some news. Then the doctors on the ward came and saw my mum asking to speak with her privately, my mum woke me up saying i'll be back in a bit i'm just going to speak to the doctors. After that she was back & i waked up, when i turned around i saw my mum crying on the chair, i asked her what's wrong. she said everything's going to be alright Sav, i was thinking what do you mean by that she started to worry me. Then she told me i had leukaemia, she said it was a type of cancer. Then she rang my dad telling him what's happened so he came from work to see me. My sisters were wondering what's been happening and so when my dad got home he told them, they came and saw me with some presents which was lovely.So I was diagnosed at my local Mayday hospital, with Leukaemia at the beginning of 2005 when i was 10 yrs old. Then i was transferred to Royal Marsden Hospital which was a cancer type hospital, i stayed at the hospital until the doctors thought i was better to go home. I had a therapist to help me stand up and walk properly as i was hunch back,so she helped me with some exercise i had to do in the morning and before i go bed. But i had no idea what was going on until my mum and the doctors explained about what i had and what was going to happen. It was an big shock for me and my family! I had to have radiotherapy & chemotherapy which made me feel ill and so i was in & out of hospital. Also they had to put a line inside me on the side of my chest it was called a portacath. After that i was realising that some of my hair started to fall out because of the chemo, the doctors said that i shouldnt worry as it will grow back shortly. Later on in the year i had to have an bone marrow transplant as i was in an high risk of having a relapse. So the doctors found me a female donor from germany and i was all set for december 05 to have it done. I had to have another line in on the other side which was an hickman line. I was staying in a cubical for 6 weeks, also over christmas and new year which was a shame! My sisters and my dad came and visited me for christmas & new year. The bone marrow made me feel like crap! it was horrible! But When i finally got out of hospital i wasn't allowed to go back to school for about 3 months in case i caught anything. Then when i was 12 i was back in school like everyone else. Although i had some rough time, cry's now & then i still wouldn't of got through it with out my family,nurses & doctors! Also a BIG thanks to my bone marrow donor!Now that i've finished all my treatment i am doing well and in remission. Sav ..ox

For help information or support with a leukaemia, lymphoma or a myeloma call 0800 169 6680 or visit www.leukaemiacare.org.uk