It’s already been a long, hard road for WCCO’s Jordana Green. In October of 2020, Green revealed that she was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Like so many who have battled cancer, after the initial shock wore off, it was on to treatment. Years of treatment.
Just a week ago she shared an e-mail from her doctor on her show with Paul Douglas stating there was continued remission.
Unfortunately, new results have come back and there is now a trace of the T-cell in her blood. Which means a bone marrow transplant and that’s a very difficult process.
“I cannot believe for the second time in two years that I have to tell the listeners and everybody that I love online and everywhere that I once again have cancer,” Green said Tuesday afternoon.
She also explained that she had been in remission for 16 months and the bone marrow biopsies she has been doing is part of the maintenance she undergoes for a period of time after treatment. However, she said this is not totally unexpected either.
“I did eight rounds of chemotherapy,” Green said. “Then I was 16 months in remission. Most people like me who have leukemia recur.”
On her CaringBridge site, Jordana explains what will come next.
“Monday I will be admitted to Mayo to begin chemo,” she begins. “They have to get me back into full remission before a BTM (Bone Marrow Transplant). I will do at least two rounds of chemo before BMT. These rounds of chemo are different and hopefully easier, and because there's so little disease in my body (vs. 95% cancer when I was admitted in 2020) I should get into remission quickly. Fingers crossed.”
They also need to find a donor for the bone marrow transplant for Green.
“I will get bone marrow from a donor and that, I believe could change my blood type, and then I will be making blood that's functional and doesn't make T. Cell A.L.L. which is what my bone marrow seems to be wanting to make all the time.”
While treatment continues, Jordana Green says she plans to work on her show as much as she can despite the challenges.
“You are admitted to the hospital for, I believe it's a month,” Green explained to Douglas Tuesday. “I'm going to Mayo where they do radiation and more chemo and get you ready for your bone marrow transplant. It's not like a transplant, like a liver transplant where they cut you open and they do that. It's literally an infusion. So you think, oh, that's not so bad, but it's my understanding that they basically completely dismantle your immune system and all immunities that you have. So they can build you back up again and have blood that doesn't make cancerous cells.”
Green is also raising money for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Foundation. To contribute to Team Jordana, click here.
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