Inspirational Stories

Hello, my name is Fely Agustin, I am 38 years old and a mother to two teenagers. One is going to be a freshman in college and another a freshman in high school. I am married to a wonderful husband of almost 17 years. I was diagnosed on May 6, 2015 with Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia (WM).

I traveled for work a lot when I started showing signs of what we thought was just a flu virus. I didn't think anything of it, until I noticed that I was running out of breath going from one terminal to another. Even older travelers were passing me by. I knew right then, something was not right.

My primary care physician decided to check my blood to see if I was anemic. I vividly remember getting a call from the doctor about my test results. He said that my blood level was very low and I needed to head to the nearest hospital for a blood transfusion. 

I was monitored by my oncologist for over two months to see if my blood work would return back to normal. When things didn't improve we decided to do a bone marrow biopsy. A week later, during my follow up appointment, my oncologist revealed that my bone marrow showed that I have lymphoma. I started treatment right away and completed my last chemo the month of my birthday. I was released to go back to work after being on long term disability, but when I reported back to work, I was informed that my position was no longer available. Although discouraged, I was not going to let this break me down. If anything, it only made me stronger. I put myself through real estate school and now a licensed real estate broker for the state of Oregon.

This year, I will take part in the Light the Night (LTN) in Portland so that I can give back to those in need. Thank you LLS, friends, and family for all of the support!