I winced as I felt a wave of pain run down my spine, the pang intensifying with every breath I awoke. I was used to these throbbing pains running down my back, as I had been experiencing them for a few months now. However, this time it was different. I was usually able to overcome the agony by taking an Advil or even using a heating pad to numb my lower back, but the severe intensity of the pain I was feeling warned me that tonight was more severe. I gently turned in bed to see my tiny green alarm clock, the vibrant green numbers lighting up the otherwise dark room surrounding it. The clock read 2:30 in the morning, immediately reminding me that I was the only one awake in my silent house. I thought about turning away again, forcing my eyes closed and trying to ignore the sensation, even though I had never felt pain of this caliber before. Symptoms of leukemia often vary depending on the type and severity. The most common signs and symptoms of leukemia include persistent fatigue, weakness, fever or chills, and night sweats. Another indication that leukemia may be present in the blood is easy bruising or bleeding, as well as recurrent nosebleeds. You should never be dismissive of any symptom, because sometimes only one of many symptoms manifests itself. Finally, focusing my attention on the matter, I made the crucial decision to leave my bed and wander down the dark hallway to my parents' bedroom. As I limped to their door, I watched my parents' worried eyes go from closed to half-lidded as they woke up and adjusted to the light I had turned on moments earlier. I struggled with every breath as I tried to explain the excruciating sensation I was experiencing. My words were hard to understand, because my sentences were filter... middle of paper... the pain medicine, but also the blood draw for a series of tests to find out what was wrong with me . I agreed immediately, because the slight pain of a simple sting was worth the relief I would feel once it was all over. After taking my blood, the nurse brought a syringe filled with a clear substance and handed my mother and I the tube so I could read the tiny writing printed on the side. Morphine. I had already heard about this powerful drug and it was hard to believe that it would soon be entering my veins. I immediately relaxed once the powerful medicine was instilled in me, finally feeling a sense of comfort that I had been deprived of for the past hour. My mother and I were left alone and I could sense the worry on her face. Soon he called my father who was sitting at home with my two younger sisters, eagerly waiting to hear the details of my emergency visit so far.