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Deb Hubsmith
I'm blessed with a beautiful life, wonderful family and friends, and had an exciting career. But, in October 2013, I was suddenly stricken and diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following a two week illness not unlike a flu. My life changed immediately.I was treated by Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Rafael, California for months where I received multiple rounds of chemotherapy. This treatment did not knock out my AML and my only hope for a cure was to go to Stanford Hospital for a bone marrow transplant (BMT) in March of 2014.
The BMT was very intense and painful but I made it out of Stanford alive. I was doing great and growing stronger until November of 2014 when my blood counts again dropped. I am now being treated for a rare bone marrow condition called serous atrophy, which keeps stem cells from functioning/multiplying properly in my bone marrow. I lost a significant amount of weight and have intense fatigue, must avoid public places (due to infection risk), and as a result spend much of my time lying in bed.
I deeply want to live but desire to have a quality of life that includes dance, community, working for environmental/social causes, being able to enjoy time in nature and spend quality time with my beloved newlywed husband Andy Peri.
I am surviving on blood transfusions and am in a place of yearning to survive. I am also open to letting go of this life with grace should my options fade away. What carries me more than anything else is the dramatic, soul-enriching love of family and friends and my own love and acceptance of change and all that has come to pass.
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Tag Archives: chemotherapy
Looking for the Silver Linings
Thanks to everyone who has been sending me positive energy toward healing my asthma and leukemia. Many of you know that I nearly died on the CT SCAN table at the end of January. I was brought back to life … Continue reading
Challenging Times
Deb’s chemo treatments were from Jan. 7-11. The side effects set in the second week, and she continues to deal with other challenging issues – breathing difficulties, coughing, fever, and low blood counts with frequent platelet and red cell transfusions. … Continue reading
The Next Steps
As you know, Deb has been in Kaiser Permanente Terra Linda hospital recovering from respiratory problems – wheezing, difficulty breathing, and coughing. She has had three chest x-rays and two CT scans. The most recent CT scan showed a sinus … Continue reading
A Beautiful Wedding and more … December 28, 2014
People have been asking me (Mary Lou) why there haven’t been any recent updates, and the answer is simply that we have been very, very busy. The happy news I have to share is that Deb and her sweetheart Andy … Continue reading
Rivers of Hope
I am posting this lighthearted, healthy photo of me, as I fully aim to be healthy and cured of cancer forever! I encourage you to think of me this way – thank you. Unfortunately, my road to the cure for … Continue reading
A Prayer for Healing – Biopsy Results
Dear Friends, As you know we’ve been waiting for news on my bone marrow biopsy which was done twice because of inconclusive test results. Unfortunately, on Tuesday the Stanford doctor told me he is 99.5% sure that my condition is … Continue reading
Going Home Soon!
Good news! The plan is that I’m moving home soon! I left Marin on March 9 to come to Stanford Hospital to have my bone marrow transplant (BMT) and to be cured of AML forever. I was discharged on April … Continue reading
Letting Go of Fear
I show this bald photo of me now as a way of releasing fear. I was so afraid when I was diagnosed with leukemia — Afraid of losing my hair, halting my career, chemo, and especially afraid of dying. Fear … Continue reading
