Alison D
My blogs
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Occupation | PhD student/teacher |
| Location | Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom |
| Introduction | I discovered I had mantle cell lymphoma in 2007 and carried on working as a teacher through chemotherapy. However, the only way it could be cured was by having a bone marrow transplant which meant being shut away in a virtual bubble in hospital for about 5 weeks. I knew that for the year after that I would have the immunity of a baby. I had to face this if I was to survive but my first task was to get into deep remission through chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, when seeking a donor I found out that my background was not exactly what I thought it was and that I was donor conceived. As my DNA is unusual and most donor conceived adults are denied access to their records, I was in for a voyage of discovery. Having left teaching I went back to being a student again which I was really enjoying but even this had to stop when the chemotherapy began to take its toll and then I had to prepare for the strangest journey of my life. I had thought that my journey into the bubble might lead to a cure for my lymphoma but it was not to be. Where my journey will now take me is into unknown territory. I shall need all the help I can get to do this well. |
| Interests | Music, reading, travel, antiques, cooking and writing |