At 27, Ashley was young and active, meeting with friends, traveling and pursuing an exciting career. Everything was perfect.
Then, at a routine checkup, she told her nurse practitioner that she had a lot of bruises on her legs. It was probably anemia, she thought. But cancer? Couldn’t be. It was. Ashley had leukemia.
A doctor told Ashley, “I could treat you, but it’s in your best interests to go to Moffitt. You’ll be in good hands.” Ashley came to us. She needed surgery to implant a port to inject antibiotics and other medicine. Then, she started on chemo.
The first round was toughest, causing vomiting, nausea, hair loss, weight loss and fatigue. “I was hospitalized for a month,” Ashley says. “Luckily, I was able to have my family there supporting me, because Moffitt is very family-centered.”
After that, Ashley had periodic treatments over the next several months. Then, wonderful news. “My blood count had come back up,” Ashley says. “It looked good, and I was in initial remission.”
Ashley had turned the corner. Her battle wasn’t over, but this was fantastic news. She was able to return to work, a big milestone. And she resumed working out to build herself back up. “I believe in what Moffitt is doing,” she says. “My doctor always listened to me — and cared.”
Today, Ashley is cancer-free. She’s married and expecting. “I feel fantastic,” she says. “Things are good.” This is your support at work to transform lives at Moffitt Cancer Center. Thank you, from Ashley and all of us!