Karen Pletikapich
Karen Pletikapich remembers the year 2020 very well. It’s hard for any of us to forget that time when each day had its own challenges and life was unpredictable. For Karen, 2020 also brought her a scary diagnosis that changed her life in ways she never expected.
Karen Pletikapich spends her days staying active. She does pilates, takes a tap-dancing class, just started a travel business, and even volunteers with Hoxworth Blood Center! But her life looked very different in 2020.
In July of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Karen was working from home in West Chester (a Colerain High School alum) along with her family members. She’s married with two sons. Karen remembers feeling tired and figured it was the extra housework she was doing now that her whole family was spending more time at home. In addition to the fatigue, she also noticed a scratch on her leg that wouldn’t heal, feeling short of breath, and even pain in her chest. She took a COVID test at the advice of her doctor, but it was negative.
Karen eventually went to the emergency department at UC Health in West Chester where they did blood tests. Due to the COVID protocols, Karen was in the room alone when the ER doctor walked in to tell her the results of her blood tests revealed she has Leukemia.
“I was in complete shock and asked him for antibiotics and to go home. I clearly didn't comprehend what he had said. I wasn't even sure what leukemia was exactly, but I found out quickly - blood cancer.”
Karen was transported to UC Medical Center Main Campus in Clifton, admitted immediately, and waited for a bed on the transplant floor where she started an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy. She was in the hospital for more than a month and even spent some time in the ICU.
“I know I was very sick, I couldn't eat or drink anything and was even in the ICU for a few days where it was touch and go. I remember my husband telling me to fight and how he and the boys loved me so much. But if I can't hang on, it's ok to let go. I still didn't really understand what was going on, but thought this was the battle I had to endure to get well.”
Once she recovered enough to begin her journey to go home, Karen was sent to rehab because she lost the ability to walk after being in the hospital bed for so long. Karen was finally released home after more than a month in the hospital.
At a follow-up appointment, Karen learned she has Acute Myeloid Leukemia and she needed a bone marrow transplant. Without the transplant, she would have a 30% chance of living. The search for a donor began immediately. They started with family members and learned Karen’s 17-year-old son was a match. A few days before Christmas in 2020 Karen received a stem cell transplant from her son. Karen spent six weeks in the hospital for this procedure before going home in early 2021.
In the months and even years following the transplant, Karen would receive blood transfusions from Hoxworth Blood Center before the transplant was complete. Karen remembers feeling very sick during this time and wasn’t sure she would ever recover. Once her body accepted the stem cells, she not only had a new lease on life, she also had a new blood type! Karen went from O+ blood to A+, her son’s blood type! It took Karen 18 months to feel like she did before she was diagnosed with cancer.
Karen has been in remission for five years and credits the staff at Hoxworth, Cincinnati hospitals, and blood donors for saving her life. She volunteers with Hoxworth at mobile drives or community events to spread the word about blood donation. She admits the journey has been very tough. But she’s glad she chose to stay strong and keep fighting for her life.
“To give blood, it doesn’t take that long and it’s such an easy way to save someone’s life. My husband does it and he knows I appreciate it.”
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