When the Storm Clouds Gather: Leukemia Relapse After Second Transplant
I was hoping that the next posts I will be sharing will always be full of light and success stories over my leukemia journey. But as I was almost in the last days of completing my 100 days post-transplant care, my regular blood tests looked bad with elevated WBC and low platelets counts, and so we had to check what’s happening in my bone marrow. I was supposed to go home to Legazpi City already, and the tests showed my leukemia has come back, even after the second stem cell transplant. Again?! 
This relapse has shaken me to my core. I had hoped, prayed, and fought so hard for remission to last. But life doesn’t always go the way we plan, and sometimes the storm clouds gather again before we can even catch our breath.
This relapse has shaken me to my core. I had hoped, prayed, and fought so hard for remission to last. But life doesn’t always go the way we plan, and sometimes the storm clouds gather again before we can even catch our breath.I’m heartbroken, and there’s a sadness that’s hard to describe— a grief for the dreams I was starting to build again, for the moments I thought I could live without cancer hanging over me.
But even in the midst of this heartbreak, I know I’m not alone. God is still here. His presence hasn’t left me, even if I don’t always understand His plan. Right now, I’m holding on to the truth that He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).
I don’t know what the future will hold. Things are uncertain, there are choices to make, and financial constrains.
There’s fear, but there’s also faith. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned through all of this, it’s that God’s light has and will always shine even through the darkest nights.
To my family, friends, and everyone who has been with me on this journey so far—thank you. Your love and prayers have been my lifeline through so many dark times. I need them now more than ever.
If you’re reading this and you’re going through your own storm, please know you’re not alone. Life may not make sense right now, but together and with the Lord, we can find the strength to keep going, one step at a time.
This isn’t the end of the story. Even in the darkest valley, my Shepherd will lead me on.