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  • so many of us are feeling scared and alone right now.

  • The fear can be especially acute, though, for those battling other medical conditions like Lord Ae Ahn Hernandez, who's being treated for breast cancer.

  • And I want to thank you very much for joining us.

  • First of all, Oriana, thank you so much.

  • Just even hearing those stories is getting my heart racing of the anxiety I'm going through.

  • I can imagine.

  • So you're trying.

  • I'm sorry.

  • Good.

  • Go ahead.

  • I was saying it's triggering a lot of PTSD for me, for the health complications that I've had.

  • Right?

  • I could imagine that would be the case.

  • Now you're compromised.

  • Immune system makes you especially high risk for Cove in 19 year leukemia survivor now in treatment for breast cancer.

  • What kind of therapies do you have to have?

  • Well, right now, I'm not currently going under any therapies, but what the biggest issue and risk for me is that I'm a five year leukemia survivor and leukemia.

  • I had a bone marrow transplant.

  • I don't have my own DNA, and I have a habit of actually rejecting some blood transfusions.

  • Fast forward.

  • Five years later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer likely due to the full body radiation to save my life.

  • And that has had a delayed.

  • I've had delayed feeling.

  • And now, each, every day I have a wound Nurse come to my house to pack the wound.

  • So trying to recover from breast cancer with a compromised immune system from leukemia, having doctors at Johns Hopkins and also attend Med Trying to, you know, treat me has been very stressful because each and every day we have nurses that have to come into our house.

  • We've taken some steps at home, and my husband is trying to learn to do what the nurses do.

  • Impact the wound so we could limit anybody coming in and out of the house, right?

  • Of course.

  • And how are you managing to keep yourself healthy?

  • I mean, imagine that's 11 way, but what sacrifices do you need to make right now?

  • Well, for me, he's staying home is not a problem.

  • You have to fight for your life.

  • You have AML leukemia with 25% chance of survival.

  • I was separated from my son for more than a year.

  • I was wearing the yellow gown on droplet precautions and I was hospitalized for a year and then having to stare death in the face and lose friends and then go through breast cancer if they told me I need to sit home.

  • I've been home since January.

  • If they say sit home till June or July, I'm okay with that because I just want to see my son grow up.

  • It's pretty simple.

  • The other thing.

  • I tell people That's one thing I can control and it is stay home.

  • The other thing is, and I said this from when I was diagnosed with leukemia is what I call the three p's of armoring up for life.

  • That's prepare, present prevailed.

  • And I say that we all have to prepare each and every day in our lives of how prepared we show up to any illness.

  • It may not be cope it it could be cancer, whatever it may be.

  • So we can all present well to our medical team and then position ourselves to prevail.

  • And so all I can say is each and every day, despite my low energy levels.

  • Despite the depression, despite the fears I work out, so if not forbid, it happens to me.

  • I'm prepared.

  • The best I can be the best version of myself, so I can present well.

  • But all I can do is stay home and pray and be with my family.

  • But it's hard for me to try to explain that to other people.

  • When I see people interacting and I tell him, if you you haven't been on the floor crying and no one that you have a chance of death and not seeing your son and not seeing if your son will ever see you again, it just doesn't always click for everyone, right?

  • I had friends get frustrated with me when I say you can not come in the house.

  • You're a great example for all of us.

  • So I hear you talking about how you've low energy and anxiety and depression.

  • But anybody just watching you right now, I'm sure feels inspired.

  • You know, there are many who now fear going into the hospital and possibly risking Corona virus infection.

  • But but many also need to go for various cancer treatments or essential surgeries.

  • For example, what what kind of calculations have you had to make in managing your health in this moment?

  • And am I correct that you don't have to leave the house at all?

  • Well, we've made some changes tomorrow.

  • I was supposed to see my leukemia.

  • Dr Johns Hopkins.

  • Now you know, Johns Hopkins is a global leader in fighting Copan.

  • 19 talking with my leukemia doctor and my infectious disease team at Johns Hopkins.

  • They did not feel it was safe for me to come in, even though I need to know if I'm in remission from a very risky surgery of a double mastectomy for a bone marrow transplant survivor.

  • I know it's very complex, but talking with them, they said, We don't want you to come into the building until June 3rd.

  • So for me, that's a lot of anxiety.

  • Toe Wait and make sure I'm still in remission from leukemia because of a breast cancer surgery.

  • Thea Other steps we've taken is make teaching my husband to do the wound packing so we can eventually not have nurses come into the house.

  • They're heroes, and they're amazing, but they have eight other patients throughout the day, and also my appointment next week with my pen medicine doctor, my surgeon and breast cancer surgeon will be a telemedicine appointment.

  • So we're doing everything we can through pictures, imaging, face timing to do everything that I don't leave the house.

  • But my heart aches for all the warriors that cancer survivors and those currently in treatment who call and talk to me and say I have to go in and their new trip unit, which means they don't have a way to fight any infection.

  • That's the reason when people say, Why do we have to sit home?

  • This is ridiculous.

  • I realize there's a financial impact, but when you're talking about lives that you've been saved by staying home, it's huge.

  • I would imagine it like I would imagine that you are giving people new perspective and new reason to stay at home just by hearing and seeing you with Floriana.

  • Thank you so much and we wish you continued health.

  • Hi, everyone.

  • George Stephanopoulos here.

  • Thanks for checking on ABC News YouTube channel.

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so many of us are feeling scared and alone right now.

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