I am McKenzie Baxter a 24 year old wife, mama, and cancer survivor. November 25, 2023 I received the news I had Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I was 23 years old at the time and just had my first son in January of 2023. My journey of gaining the diagnosis took time. I am a type one diabetic as well as this is important to remember. June of 2023 I had just a fatigue I could not shake. My son had slept through the night since he was two months old so I felt there was not really a reason for me to be as tired as I was feeling. I also started getting random bruises very easily. I had thought maybe diabetic related or my thyroid was not acting right. I scheduled an appointment with my primary care provider and we did blood checks and also checked the function of my thyroid. My thyroid looked great, but my white blood count, red blood count, platelet levels, hemocrit, and hemoglobin levels were very low. I ended up needing a blood transfusion and a referral to hematology/oncology.
July of 2023 I saw an hematologist/oncologist and did not have a good experience. I felt dismissed and not listened to. She had stated that healthy women have babies and nothing was wrong. As months went by I continued to show more symptoms. Bruising even easier and darker bruising, more fatigue, shortness of breath, paleness, and high heart rates. I finally went back to my primary care provider in October of 2023 and repeated blood levels and asked to see a new hematologist/oncologist. I had received another blood transfusion and got a new referral.
November 2023 I saw Dr. Wright in Jackson, TN and he was amazing. I took in all lab work I had done that year and he looked everything over. He also did his own blood work and stated if my levels looked the same and if my vitamin b12 levels and iron levels were normal then we would have to do a bone marrow biopsy. Later that day he had called and given me the news that a bone marrow biopsy was in fact needed. We scheduled one for that next week the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. As I nervously waited for the results I got the call on Sunday by Dr. Wright that had Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
We had been traveling to see family and once we got home I shaved my head. I knew mentally it would be so much harder on me to sit and watch my hair fall out. My husband had helped me and it was very emotional for the both of us. My Husband and I have been dating since 2015 and married since 2020. He has been my rock through so many things. That Monday I chose to go to work and so afterwards I went to pick our son up who was ten months old at the time from daycare. As I pulled in to pick him up I received a call from Sarah Cannon Cancer Center stating I would be admitted from 4-6 weeks the next day to start treatment. I felt broken. I was breastfeeding my son and so this had to come to a stop. I felt as if I was being took away from being a mother. Growing up I had always wanted to be a mom and every part of me enjoyed being a mom more than anything.
During the first hospital stay I struggled with being away from my husband, son, and our dogs. I had missed my sons first Christmas which as a first time mom, and Christian this was hard for me. Thankfully he spent Christmas with my sister, nieces, and nephews who love him unconditionally. My husband had spent Christmas with me. We just felt this is what we both needed and to ensure our son had a great Christmas. During my hospital stays my mother would stay during the week with me and then on weekends my husband would come, my dad, or my sister. My husband stayed home and worked and also became Mr. Mom as we jokingly say. As a cancer patient children under the age of typically fifteen are not allowed on the cancer floors due to risk of spreading illnesses to those who are immune compromised. I spent 4 weeks before I got to see my son. This was the hardest part of treatment. He did not know who I was for a solid thirty minutes. As a mom you can understand how much this broke me. I spent a total of 6 weeks in the hospital during my first stay. I finally had a breakdown and just absolutely needed to go home. I do work in the healthcare so I understand precautions to take and how to be safe at home.
The chemotherapy treatments I responded the first round and went into remission but it came back and I had to do two other consolidation rounds. The side effects from chemotherapy typically would be decreased appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, very sensitive skin, bone pain, hair loss, and changes in skin coloration. The end of March I started my ablative chemotherapy in preparation for my bone marrow transplant. I had my bone marrow transplant April 5 of 2024. My doctors chose the route of using a donor due to my family medical history. I was lucky to have multiple matches and so the doctors narrowed down the list and figured out who would be the best candidate for me. I have been in complete remission since and have done wonderful. The week of and after my transplant I was very tired and weak. Eventually my energy started coming back and so did my strength. Now I am currently in Nursing school. I also already have my surgical technology and certified surgical first assistant. I figured since being out of work now would be a good time to go to school and just further my education.
November 2024 I was at an appointment and noticed my Liver enzymes were elevated. After further testing we found out I had developed Graft-versus-host-disease of the liver. I have continued to do weekly blood checks and we have started new medications to help with the GVHD. I am also still in remission! Between doctor appointments and school along with being a wife and mother there have been struggles along the way. We are continue to learn how this new normal of life is going to be for us. I have dedicated myself on social media to reach out to others who are moms going through cancer, young adults, families, etc. I have also posted my story and post updates as well for friends and family to keep up with along with others who just want to know! September 26, 2024 I was also on Nashville News Channel 5 in regards to meeting in person with someone I found on social media who was also a new mom and newly diagnosed with AML.