LIVE: Specialized blood cancer treatment in Austin saves woman battling leukemia with bone marrow transplant

AUSTIN (KXAN) – September is National Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and for Kathy Miller, it’s also a time of reflection and gratitude.

Three years ago, Miller noticed that walking from her home to her car took a lot out of her.

“For a month, it was really hard for me to breathe, and when I would sleep, I could hear myself panting,” Miller said. “But it was several weeks before that I was not feeling well.”

Miller is a hairstylist in Austin, and you might have seen some of her work on television.

“I wasn’t feeling well, and at the time, I was working on a show called Walker. We were about to wrap the show, so I was going to wait another six weeks before going to see the doctor,” Miller said.

After a few conversations with some of her clients, who happen to be physicians, she took their advice and booked an appointment to get some blood work.

“I don’t know that I would be sitting here today,” she said.

Blood work revealed that the bruising and fatigue Miller was experiencing were due to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Miller says she started treatment about two days after her diagnosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, ALL is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made.

“Kathy had a very high white blood count, almost 300,000. And we were all shocked she was still working,” Dr. Aravind Ramakrishnan, Medical Director, Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, said. “Normally, your white blood cell count is around 4 to 100,000. As they keep going higher, they can start clogging up the blood vessels and cause difficulty breathing. People can pass out and sometimes not make it to the hospital in time.”

Dr. Ramakrishnan has been with Miller from her diagnosis to remission.

“Most people with that white count can’t get out of bed,” he said.

The Cleaveland Clinic says white blood cells are important to keep you healthy – but when too many are being produced, it’s a sign of an infection – and in some cases, it could mean blood cancer.

For years, blood cancer patients had to drive hours to get treatment – today, Central Texans don’t have to go far. The specialized treatment that saved Miller’s life happened at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. The Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program has been at the hospital for 11 years – a collaboration with St. David’s Healthcare and Texas Oncology.

“We learned early on by studying her leukemia that this was probably not going to go away with just the chemotherapy we were giving,” Dr. Ramakrishnan said. “She needed a bone marrow transplant to protect her.”

Miller was ready to take the journey, even if it meant it would be a difficult challenge physically and mentally.

“I did not allow myself to think they weren’t able to handle what was ahead of them with me, even though I was terrified, very sad, and very weak and wanting to go home,” Miller said. “I realized I had to get through this and that someday I would get over it.”

When doctors started chemotherapy, they also quickly started working on phase two of the treatment process – the search to find a donor. And they found one in Germany.

“I cried like a baby,” Miller said about the first time they both talked on the phone after the transplant.

Miller’s transplant was a success and has been in remission since then. She plans to visit her donor soon. “He’s the brightest light you can imagine, a selfless person, and now I operate 100% off his transplant,” she said. “He’s my blood brother and will forever be in my heart.”

Symptoms to watch for

The American Cancer Society says warning signs of ALL often mimic the flu but don’t improve with time:
• Persistent fatigue or weakness
• Fever or frequent infections
• Unexplained bruising or bleeding gums
• Severe or frequent nosebleeds
• Pale skin
• Bone pain
• Shortness of breath
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, abdomen, or groin

Doctors recommend making an appointment if these symptoms don’t resolve.

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