A mother of three's infection in her finger had led to cancer. Fortunately, she survived.
How an Infected Finger Led to Cancer?
Peppie Scobbie, 53, suffered from an infected finger when she was 47. However, antibiotics failed to treat the infection, leading to her finger being "all swollen and green." She was later diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - a rare type of blood cancer, Manchester Evening News reported.
Scobie said she first noticed that she wasn't her usual self during a holiday in Portugal in July 2017. After returning home and resuming work with her cleaning business, a client's dog jumped on her arm, and she felt an electric shock.
Her arm turned "black and blue" after a few hours, which she found strange. However, she didn't think it was something serious.
Following that, she noticed that she had to drag herself to work. She knew something was wrong.
She also noticed that the skin on the middle finger of her left hand had become infected. It was reportedly throbbing. Her GP prescribed three courses of antibiotics, but it didn't help with the symptoms.
On Aug. 16, 2017, she underwent blood tests, and the doctor told her she had a high white blood cell count 30 minutes later, she received a call informing her she had leukemia.
Scobbie underwent three "intense" rounds of chemotherapy, leaving her hair "fall out in clumps." During the first round of treatment, she developed pneumonia and sepsis. She was put in an induced coma and on life support, prompting the doctors to wonder whether she would survive.
She "bounced back" and completed all three rounds of chemotherapy. Scobbie has been cancer-free for nearly six years since Christmas in 2017.
Although she was in remission, she had a stem cell transplant in January 2018. She has been cancer-free for nearly six years but takes numerous medications, including drugs and steroids.
What Is Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults is a form of cancer in which the bone marrow produces excessive abnormal blood cells. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets can all be impacted by leukemia, according to the National Cancer Institute.
There are various AML subtypes. AML risk factors include smoking, prior chemotherapeutic treatment, and radiation exposure. Per Mayo Clinic, general signs and symptoms during the early stages of AML are similar to those of flu and other common diseases. Here are some symptoms.
- Fever
- Bone pain
- Lethargy and fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Pale skin
- Frequent infections
- Easy bruising
- Unusual bleeding, such as frequent nosebleeds and bleeding from the gums
Acute myelogenous leukemia develops when a bone marrow cell experiences alterations (mutations) in its DNA or genetic makeup. The instructions that inform a cell what to do are encoded in its DNA.
The DNA often instructs the cell to develop at a specific rate and to die at a specific time. The mutations in acute myelogenous leukemia instruct the bone marrow cell to keep multiplying and developing.
The manufacturing of blood cells then spirals out of control. Myeloblasts, immature white blood cells that turn leukemic, are produced in the bone marrow. These aberrant cells can accumulate and suffocate healthy cells since they are unable to operate normally.
Leukemia's DNA abnormalities have been linked to an unknown origin. However, doctors have identified some factors that increase one's risk of developing the disease, including increasing age, sex, previous cancer treatment, exposure to radiation and dangerous chemicals, smoking, and other blood disorders.
AML is identified via blood and bone marrow examinations. Several factors influence the prognosis (chances of recovery) and available treatments.
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