What are some tests done on a leukemia patient?
and also what is a leukemia's patient daily life like? and also when do they have to stay in the hospital and where in the hospital would they get chemo? In a private room or in a ward? You see im writing a story of a girl with leukemia and i really wanna get stuff right!
- TrueSnapdragon
I answered your other question, but I will give some more information. Again, every hospital and treatment center is a little bit different. And again answering as if the patient is a child or teen, and answering for ALL, the most common type of leukemia in children.
Daily life for a person with leukemia (people first language is important... person w/ leukemia vs. leukemia patient makes a difference) differs depending on what stage of treatment they're in. In the beginning, a typical day might be a visit to clinic to get blood counts, chemo, maybe a blood transfusion, or hanging out at home, doing low key things, maybe working with a tutor for a few horus. Later on, she'd probably be back in school, doing normal age appropriate things, with a visit to clinic once or twice a month after school, and missing a day for a spinal tap each cycle. If she gets a fever and her counts are low, she'll probably be admitted to the hospital for a few days.
If the person is inpatient (admitted to the hospital, staying overnight) she'll get chemo in her room. At many hospitals, children with cancer have private rooms (at my hospital, this is mandatory), but at others, the room might be for two or three people. There might be a unit for kids with cancer, or they might be on the general pediatrics unit, depending on the hospital.
Most chemo is given outpatient, when the person is not admitted to the hosptial. This is done in the oncology clinic, which is often in the hosptial, but away from the inpatient area. In our clinic, kids can be in the waiting room or playroom while getting chemo, in an exam room, or in the infusion room, which is a big open room with separate curtained off areas, each with a recliner and TV. Usually, the teens like to be in the infusion room and the younger kids like to be in the playroom. If the person has any cold symptoms, rash, or anything that might be contagious, she has to be in an isolation room while at clinic and can't be in the playroom, waiting room, or infusion room.
Leukemia is a diagnosis confirmed by a bone marrow aspiration. That's one test. Spinal taps are done, as well (a needle inserted into the spinal column to remove spinal fluid to test for leukemia cells, and chemo is injected in to prevent leukemia cells from ending up there.) Blood work is done pretty much every single time the person steps foot into the treatment center. X-rays are sometimes done- at diagnosis, a chest x-ray is often done, and throughout treatment, x-rays will be done if pneumonia is suspected (chest), if there is a lot of bone pain (wherever the bone is, to see if there is a fracture.) A CT scan might be done if there are frequent sinus infections, to make sure it's not fungal. An EKG and echocardiogram are done at the beginning to get a baseline, and then through treatment, as one of the chemo drugs can cause some heart damage, so they have to track how the heart is doing.
Leukemia — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, causes, risk factors, treatment of this blood-related cancer.
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