Country singer and member of the Pistol Annies took to social media with a heartbreaking announcement.
Ashley Monroe has a very rare form of cancer.
The news was revealed in a stunning social media post on Tuesday — and she’s immediately going to start chemo treatment.
She explained that what initially led to the diagnosis was a “routine” round of lab work, which discovered something strange.
“A few months ago my dr. was doing some routine lab work and found that I was anemic,” she wrote in a note on Twitter.
“I was like, FINE, I’ll just double up on cheeseburger patties, take some extra vitamins and call it a day.”
But it turns out there was a problem more complicated than a cheeseburger could fix.
After still being anemic, doctors then performed a biopsy on her bone marrow — and discovered the rare form of cancer called Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a type of illness that causes bone marrow to overproduce white blood cells, according to Mayo Clinic.
She’s headed to chemotherapy immediately.
“It’s causing my body to be pretty severely anemic, and I feel it.”
“So, I start chemo tomorrow. Seems like such a negative thing to say.”
But there’s a sliver of good news amid the diagnosis.
Though the form of cancer is rare, it seems as though successful treatment exists.
“… I’m thankful I have an illness that is VERY live with-able,” she pointed out.
“I’m thankful there IS a treatment that actually works to fight what is causing harm to my body,” she continued. “THANKFUL for friends and family who have gathered around me praying and sending flowers and letting me lean on them during this super weird chapter of my life. Thankful for my angel son. Who I am fighting for the most.”
Amid the shock diagnosis she is simply asking for one thing.
“… I could use the prayers,” she wrote, “and I DO believe in the power of prayer guys. I also believe in the power of love healing us all on an even deeper level.”
You can read her entire message below:
Gratitude. Moments like these I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I DO believe in the power of prayer guys. I also believe in the power of love healing us all on an even deeper level. I love you all big. Here I go 💪🏼🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/Dx3y4KZl4F
— Ashley Monroe (@ashleymonroe) July 13, 2021
The Horn editorial team