The Silence Within

Chapter 48

Leukaemia is a kind of blood caner that affects the body's white blood cells. There are two types. Acute, that is, fast growing and chronic, that is, slow growing. There are different types of leukaemia and the one Esosa has is acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) also known as acute lymphocytic leukaemia and acute lymphoid leukaemia, the doctor had explained. It is common in childhood cancer. ALL occur when the body makes too many lymphoblast. The patients tend to have numerous immature white blood cells in their bone marrow.

The symptoms were signs she turned blind eye to. The ones she had noticed in her daughter but had not paid so much attention too were tiredness, lack of appetite due to building of cancerous cells in the liver and spleen, making them larger, in the process, squeezing the stomach, painless lump in the neck caused by large lymph nodes, bruises, fever and paleness which she had thought was caused by lack of iron and she had tried to cure with blood tonic.

Tears gushed in Osas's eyes as she read what was on the screen of her phone while her daughter laid on the hospital bed, fast asleep with tubes connected to her body. It was a sight that broke her heart. A sight that made her shed tears. Why her daughter? She kept asking herself. Why her innocent lively baby? She still does not have an answer to it. The past two days have been hectic and emotionally draining.

There were other symptoms Esosa had not exhibited like joint pain, infection caused by low white blood cells and dizziness. After rushing Esosa to the hospital in the middle of the night when she woke up barely able to breathe, blood test had been carried out. Osas remembered the doctor telling her they have to carry out further tests because they deduced something serious. She had prayed in her shattered heart. A prayer that came from the depth of her soul, a mother's prayer. Bone marrow and lumbar puncture confirmed Esosa has leukaemia.

She had cried her eyes dry the past two days unable to allow the doctors start the chemotherapy because she felt like whatever was happening was a nightmare she wanted to wake up from. Every morning, she woke up to find a bitter reality waiting for her. Osas took the big step after thinking thoroughly and finally accepting the fact that her daughter has cancer. She met the doctor who explained the treatment procedure to her.

ALL treatment will take a very long time, about two years to three years. The doctor had made her understand while she was a water work mess that chemotherapy is the use of different drugs to stop cancer cells growth. It's not the only way to treat leukaemia. Other ways are radiation therapy, chemotherapy with stem cell transplant and target therapy. There are three phases of ALL treatment. Remission or induction therapy, consolidation and maintenance. The aim of induction therapy is to kill the cancerous cells in the blood and bone marrow. Consolidation is aimed at killing the cancer cells that can cause relapse and maintenance is to destroy any cancer cells that might have survived the first two phases.

Osas read on google that chemo can be given through the vein, mouth or the use of more than two chemo at the same time. She wondered how much pain her daughter will have to go through. Chemo has side effect like loss of hair. She can't imagine her daughter bald because of a life threatening disease. The healthy long hair will be gone in few months. Other side effects are nausea and grumpiness. There is possibility of Esosa using a wheel chair for a while because the chemo might affect her joints.

The past two days, she has met a lot of doctors than she could count because a team of doctor will be needed for ALL treatment. It's going to be so hard emotionally. Osas saw herself breaking down worse than ever as days rolled by. Her social worker had said the journey will be a marathon which Osas fears she might not be able to complete. She does not know how much she can take. Jafar had tried to be there for her. Her mother had tried to make her have hope and faith. Jafar came to the hospital with Umar around four during visiting hours and left at six when it ended. He did not leave until a nurse had come chase him away. Her friends had been around too including her cousin, Adesua. Adesua brought her kids. The children were unable to liven her daughter because Esosa was down, very weak and bed ridden. Esosa's still yet to understand what's happening to her because Osas is yet to tell her. She could say the hardest thing to do was breaking the new about Esosa's cancer to people. She choked on every word that left her lips.