In March 2021, Carolyn Rollins from Brantford felt that something was “off,” so she consulted with a doctor. “I started feeling lethargic, and I’d be exhausted after taking a short walk”, Carolyn recalled.

Blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy led to a devastating diagnosis – Carolyn had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“The diagnosis was hard to accept,” she says. “I’m a ‘get-it-done’ type of person, so I wanted to move on and get back to my regular life. I didn’t realize how long my treatment would take.”

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Specialized cancer care

Carolyn was transferred to the Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre. For the next 35 days, she was an inpatient at the Ron and Nancy Clark Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies Unit. “Losing my hair was an emotional experience,” says Carolyn. “It was tough when my hair started falling out in clumps, so they cut it all off. Everyone on my care team was so supportive as I went through this difficult time.”

COVID-19 restrictions and protecting Carolyn’s immune system meant she could have only one regular visitor. While she was always happy to see her husband, she missed seeing her other loved ones.

“It was tough not being able to go outside or spend time with my grandson, but I understood why I had to be isolated,” she says. “The experience taught me perseverance and patience.”

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Moving forward

Carolyn was discharged in June 2021 and began outpatient chemotherapy visits at the Juravinski Cancer Centre.

Carolyn was pleased to return to work full-time in January 2022. Her treatment is expected to finish during the summer of 2023.

“My prognosis looks good, and it’s nice to have my hair growing back again,” she says. “I’m grateful for the expertise and compassion of my care team, and I’m also thankful to Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre Foundation for supporting the care of patients like me. I feel very blessed to be where I am today.”