# Friend diagnosed with leukemia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-diagnosed-with-leukemia/808342 "2018-02-07T01:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-diagnosed-with-leukemia/808342/1 "2018-02-07T01:47:06Z")
Fuck, isn’t life unfair? Now this friend of mine, not many years older than me (in her 50:s), a good-hearted, brave, generous woman and a skilful artist as well as a great lover of all living beings, especially cats, has been diagnosed with leukemia and promptly sent off to recieve treatment in a hospital hundreds of miles away. Me and my friends will, of course, take turns to keep her cabin heated (she has no electricity) and her cats well fed while she’s away. But damn, she just didn’t deserve that shit! I don’t know much of the details, but I guess the fact that she was so quickly remitted to the hospital means that her condition is _really_ bad… I hope for her to return happily sometime in the spring, with her health at least temporarily restored. But I really don’t have much confidence… I wish there were something more I could do. But there isn’t. And it sucks. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-diagnosed-with-leukemia/808342/2 "2018-02-07T02:58:44Z")
Hugs to you and her. Sorry I can’t think of anything else to say. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-diagnosed-with-leukemia/808342/3 "2018-02-07T03:12:24Z")
‘Sucks’ just about sums it up, for sure :(. “something more I could do”: Making sure her home is secure and her beloved cats are taken care of will be a HUGE comfort to her. If you and other friends can take turns to visit her on the weekends, if she’s well enough, I would bet she would appreciate it. Helping out with paperwork (taking in her mail, taking things to her as appropriate, and so on) would also be good. Food: Depending on her treatment, she may or may not be up for eating much - but if she’s in a hospital, they won’t be offering her anything edible!! Care packages might be appreciated, and/or bring stuff when you or whomever makes the trek to visit. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-diagnosed-with-leukemia/808342/4 "2018-02-07T05:13:58Z")
Thank you very much for your support and suggestions! It’s not likely that I will visit her personally in the close future; I have a somewhat limited budget, and I think I can help her better taking care of matters here. I will see to that my friends will bring her some decent food… Yes, taking care of mail is arranged. Again, thanks! You are great, all! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-diagnosed-with-leukemia/808342/5 "2018-02-07T07:26:13Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > I don’t know much of the details, but I guess the fact that she was so quickly remitted to the hospital means that her condition is _really_ bad… Or that it’s the kind of situation where speed of treatment is absolutely critical. I’ve heard tales of my Uncle Julio’s amazing diagnostic skills and they usually involve recognizing a condition that, if the normal protocols had been followed, would have progressed to a much worse place by the time it was detected; those interventions of his didn’t always mean “a saved life” since the conditions weren’t always life-threatening but it always meant easier treatment. Best wishes for you and your friends. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2018, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/friend-diagnosed-with-leukemia/808342/6 "2018-02-07T08:48:18Z")
As **Mama Zappa** said, taking care of her home and beloved critters is a huge relief and comfort to her. You’re a wonderful friend. I hope she gets great care and can join the ranks of survivors very soon!