Rosemary Gong

Per John Lennon’s quote, “Life happens when you’re busy making other plans,” − life happened to Rosemary on June 12, 2008. A resident of San Francisco, she was at the cusp of one of those life-long dreams: writing in New York. She was getting her feet wet by attending a NYU summer creative writing workshop with one of the most revered contemporary Chinese poets, Bei Dao.  

A few days into the workshop, she was feeling funky. She had schlepped lots of luggage and had just trail blazed through the LA convention center for BookExpo, the annual convention for publishing.  The still summer air of New York left her physically depleted, running a fever, and achy with what she self-diagnosed as the much dreaded flu.  Her symptoms weren’t improving so she went to NYU’s ER. Within an hour, she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and was immediately admitted into the hospital for induction chemotherapy.  The experience was surreal, as if entering the Twilight Zone, falling through a rabbit hole, or lost on a deserted island. She was alone, sick, and scared.

Following induction chemotherapy, Rosemary achieved remission and was released to return home after 30 days. Family members had organized themselves. Taking turns in New York so someone would be with her through her hospitalization. She remembers feeling relieved being whisked through JFK’s security and not having to remove her shoes or knitted cap.

In San Francisco, she underwent two rounds of consolidated chemotherapy at California Pacific Medical Center when a gene aberration known as FLT-3 was discovered in her molecular analysis. Her risk level was then elevated and she was sent to UCSF for a stem cell transplant. 

She began to research her illness on her own. She looked into the various stem cell transplant options, and medical centers that conducted the procedure. Her mind was riddled with indecision. She found the resources of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society invaluable. She spoke to a First Connection transplant patient and sent confidential emails of inquiry.

She completed her autogolous stem cell transplant in March 2009 and has remained in remission (knock on wood) since it was achieved at NYU. She’s guardedly optimistic but has set her sails to the 5-year “all clear” mark.

Rosemary’s journey through cancer has been an awakening of sorts. Dealing with the illness challenged her on several levels. It was not only physically difficult, the decision-making process for treatment and procedures was intellectually draining, not to mention the financial implications. Medical developments would come out of nowhere. It was as if being in a constant state of flux, fully immersed in a foreign country with no points of reference, direction, or language. Emotionally, she felt she was constantly being thrown into the deep end and equipped only with dog paddling techniques for survival. While paddling, she couldn’t anticipate the height and severity of one wave from the other. But, she eventually began to navigate through cancer -- only as far as her headlights could shine and let the rest take care of itself. Through cancer, she learned to trust. Through cancer, she found small bits of wisdom.  

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