Basic ALL Information

This photo is a picture of leukemia cells, from Twitpic.

Signs and Symptoms

• lethargy, which in a 3 year old is more like having an EXTRA CUDDLY child.
• weakness, paleness, dizziness
• back, leg, and joint pain, headache, trouble standing or walking
• easy bruising, unusual bleeding, frequent nose bleeds, bleeding gums, petechiae (red pinpoints on the skin)
• repeated, frequent infections
• fever that lasts for several days
• loss of appetite, weight loss
• swollen lymph nodes, bloated or tender stomach, swollen liver or spleen
• night sweats
• irritability

A child in the early stages of leukemia may show some or all of the symptoms above. These same symptoms are also attributed to the common flu. This fact makes diagnosis extremely difficult. Each parent of a child with leukemia has a different story of how the child was diagnosed. But, most parents remember that their child was more tired than usual in the weeks before diagnosis. A child with leukemia may seem to be struggling to keep up their typical activity level or they may not have the energy to do even their favorite activities. Many parents report that their leukemic child had an infection or the flu that would not go away. Looking back, they realize that the child had some of the other symptoms mentioned above as well. Many parents report that they had a feeling that there was “something wrong” with their child: they knew that something was not right but they could not pinpoint what it was.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukemia

http://www.medicinenet.com/leukemia/page5.htm

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childALL/patient#Keypoint2

http://health.yahoo.com/leukemia-treatment/leukemia-acute-lymphoblastic-childhood-treatment-health-professional-information-nci-pdq/healthwise–ncicdr0000062923.html;_ylt=AiGkTaM41MtNIohz2X.h7anwtMUF

Just found a link to what may help contribute to Leukemia… bacon and hot dogs.