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At 29, I was a health-conscious organic eating vegetarian who exercised regularly and meditated. I was newly married, newly graduated from drama school, and excited to live and work in the city of my dreams, New York City.
Six weeks before my 30th birthday, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a disease that normally affects men in their sixties and has a survival rate beyond 5 years of around 25%.
I underwent 3 rounds of chemo and 11 doses of full body radiation, endured over a dozen bone marrow biopsies, and had a stem cell transplant with cells donated by my sister, Anita.
While life-saving, the treatment was painful and debilitating. I lost weight and gained weight. I went into early menopause. My fingernails fell off one by one. I spent long periods unable to walk due to fatigue and sores on my feet. I couldn’t eat take out, ride the subway, or go to the theatre. Depression, fatigue, and anxiety were a constant.
Whilst at Memorial Sloan Kettering for my stem cell transplant, I watched the 2014 NYC Marathon from my room in the isolation ward. I wondered if I would ever feel well, or even be up to running again. I could barely shuffle a lap of the transplant ward!
It took almost two years before I could run again. Then, in 2017, on the 3rd anniversary of my transplant, I ran the NYC Marathon, my first marathon. I ran it again in 2018.
This year I’ve set myself a big goal. I’m running 3 marathons — Queens, Rochester, and NYC. The NYC Marathon will be my 5th marathon, and it takes place on the 5th anniversary of my transplant. I’m running 5 for 5 baby!
I’m thrilled to be running with Fred’s Team and raising vital funds for leukemia research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Will you join me in making cancer history? You can make a donation here.
I’ll be sharing my training and runs on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Make sure to follow along!
Please feel free to share this post, and use the hashtag #LuisaRuns5for5.
Thank you for your support!
Six weeks before my 30th birthday, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a disease that normally affects men in their sixties and has a survival rate beyond 5 years of around 25%.
I underwent 3 rounds of chemo and 11 doses of full body radiation, endured over a dozen bone marrow biopsies, and had a stem cell transplant with cells donated by my sister, Anita.
While life-saving, the treatment was painful and debilitating. I lost weight and gained weight. I went into early menopause. My fingernails fell off one by one. I spent long periods unable to walk due to fatigue and sores on my feet. I couldn’t eat take out, ride the subway, or go to the theatre. Depression, fatigue, and anxiety were a constant.
Whilst at Memorial Sloan Kettering for my stem cell transplant, I watched the 2014 NYC Marathon from my room in the isolation ward. I wondered if I would ever feel well, or even be up to running again. I could barely shuffle a lap of the transplant ward!
It took almost two years before I could run again. Then, in 2017, on the 3rd anniversary of my transplant, I ran the NYC Marathon, my first marathon. I ran it again in 2018.
This year I’ve set myself a big goal. I’m running 3 marathons — Queens, Rochester, and NYC. The NYC Marathon will be my 5th marathon, and it takes place on the 5th anniversary of my transplant. I’m running 5 for 5 baby!
I’m thrilled to be running with Fred’s Team and raising vital funds for leukemia research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Will you join me in making cancer history? You can make a donation here.
I’ll be sharing my training and runs on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Make sure to follow along!
Please feel free to share this post, and use the hashtag #LuisaRuns5for5.
Thank you for your support!
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