CNN iReport

Before my senior year of highschool, my parents took the family on a wonderful 10 day vacation to Hawaii where we stayed in Waikiki. The vacation started off great! Sandy beaches, hot weather, and a tropical paradise I had never seen.

Within the first day or two, I had started to feel ill. I had an extremely soar throat, swollen lymph nodes, and was not hungry (which at the time was and still is very uncharacteristic of myself.) I had assumed I had contracted mono and just had to deal with it the best I could. After a day of snorkeling at Hanuma Bay my conditioned worsened with the sunburn I had acquired. My parents decided it was time to do to the emergency room.

While I was there, the attending doctor informed me that I had become dehydrated and that I had the worst sore throat they had ever seen. They determined that it would be a good idea to take blood samples to help with the diagnosis and sent us on our way.

The next day my parents recieved a call from the doctors and had asked that they bring me back for more samples. We returned and they had pulled my parents aside and told that I had Cancer, specifically leukemia, and wanted to admit me right in the middle of our vacation. They said they had reason to believe this because my white blood cell count was up and my platelets were down, if I remember correctly. My parents declined and waited to see what our family physician had to say. (Note: I was ignorant to the fact I had been diagnosed with Cancer until we got home.)

Upon our return home I was already feeling better. I had my follow up with my family physician and he declared the doctor's in Hawaii Idiots. He confirmed that I did, in fact, have mono. "Of course your white blood cell count was up," he said, "That's what happens when you get sick!"