Lauren was diagnosed with ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) on April 11, 2011, when she was 13 years old. At the time of diagnosis, she was a healthy girl who played on two fast pitch softball teams and participated in the local bowling league.
Lauren experienced fatigue, nausea, dizziness, headaches and body aches prior to her diagnosis and was diagnosed within days of her initial visit to her pediatrician. Lauren endured 2 ½ years of treatment at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital. Most of the treatments were on an outpatient basis, but a few were done during inpatient stays at the hospital. Lauren lost her hair twice, experienced an allergic reaction to one of the chemotherapy drugs and got very familiar with the side effects from prednisone.
Lauren finished her treatment two days prior to her 16th birthday in August 2013. We had a very wonderful Sweet 16 Celebration.