Stroke of fate
19-year-olds after chemotherapy during menopause
© KIRAYONAK YULIYA / Shutterstock
Caitlin Wilde's life from Manchester was turned upside down in an instant. The diagnosis of 'acute myeloid leukemia' and the associated chemotherapy have upset her endocrine system. The 19-year-old is now in the menopause.
Like that is not enough: Caitlin Wilde developed acute myeloid leukemia, also known as blood cancer, at the age of 17. Only about 20 percent of those affected live more than five years after diagnosis, according to Cancer Research UK.
But at the beginning the treating physicians paid no attention to their clear symptoms, claiming that these were due to hormonal changes in teenage years. The treatment recommendation: cognitive behavioral therapy to get back into harmony with yourself and your body. Now 19-year-old Caitlin is in the middle of menopause, is consequently sterile and struggling with osteoporosis.
After the doctors sent her home, the girl independently found out about possible causes of her symptoms. In addition to bleeding gums, bruising, exhaustion and bone pain, Caitlin fought extreme hot flashes and sweats. In order to endure her condition, she took painkillers regularly and even became addicted. "I think my age was the reason why the doctors didn't take me seriously. A teenager is definitely in some 'phase', no one suspects a serious illness," Caitlin tells the British portal Dailymail.
When she was diagnosed with blood cancer, she felt relieved – it finally confirmed that she wasn't just imagining her condition. After several chemotherapy treatments and a bone marrow transplant, Caitlin hoped to finally be able to live again. But suddenly her symptoms were back – was the cancer back?
No – because Caitlin was at the beginning of her menopause. In a healthy woman, these usually only begin from the age of fifty. It is hard to imagine the impact this diagnosis will have on the rest of Caitlin's life. "It was an absolute shock for me. As I learned more about the consequences of menopause, I felt extreme fear. Not only are you sterile, you also have to struggle with other ailments like osteoporosis." Dailymail quotes the 19-year-old.
The Englishwoman sees an extreme problem in the actions of the doctors. They did not take them seriously, presumably because of their age. Young people would struggle with the changes of puberty, it would be normal to feel depressed or unmotivated every now and then. Life threatening diseases? But not at that age. She also criticizes the way young patients are treated in hospitals. Due to her age, she was not entitled to a psycho-oncologist at treatment times. Alternatively, the girl found the urgently needed mental support in affected groups on Facebook. Now she has made it her task to set an example, to publish her story and thus to create changes. To ensure that young, affected people are finally taken seriously in health facilities and can therefore be treated as quickly as possible according to their diagnosis.
Sources used: Dailymail