SWANTON, Ohio (WTVG) – Stay hopeful even in difficult times. A Swanton woman is doing just that, searching for a bone marrow match that could save her life.
Emma Operaz was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma in June, but said the setback won't stop her from living her best life.
It all started with what she thought was a temporary pain…
“I got a urinary tract infection, which turned into a kidney infection, and basically it got worse and I was bedridden for about a week,” Opertz said.
And it turned out to be something she could never have imagined.
“They found that my lymph nodes in my groin were swollen. They ended up doing a biopsy of my lymph nodes and found out I had lymphoma,” Operz said.
The journey from there was not easy, as Ms. Operaz's body did not respond to the medications she was receiving.
“I had a constant fever for about a week straight. I became septic, had tachycardia, was vomiting, couldn't walk, and lost a lot of weight,” Opertz said.
She underwent several rounds of chemotherapy at the Cleveland Clinic and is now happy to say she is in remission. But because her cancer is in her bone marrow, she will have to undergo a stem cell transplant.
Doctors said this is a timely process because it can be difficult to find a compatible donor.
“Many people can't wait that long, and that's why we devise other alternative ways to do transplants. If they have cancer and are in remission, we We want to try to get them transplanted sooner instead of delaying them by giving them more chemotherapy and additional treatments that are toxic and can make the transplant even more difficult and cause more complications. I'm serious about it,” said Dr. Laura Abu Arja, a pediatric blood and bone marrow transplant physician at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The better the match, the better the chance that Operazzi's cancer will not return. But despite all the trials and tribulations, she didn't let it stop her.
“I admit that it changed me for the better, but I don't think it defines me. I'm not someone who's like, 'Oh, I got cancer at 21.' I don't think it will be. I'm not going to put that on my resume. It doesn't define me. I think what defines me is how I overcame it and who I am because of it,” Operatz said.
To find a 100% Operacz match, the Operacz family will be holding a registry recruitment event on October 12th from 10am to 2pm at the Club Salon in Swanton.
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