Country singer Ashley Monroe says she has rare form of blood cancer


Ashley Monroe performs onstage during the 2019 Stagecoach Festival at Empire Polo Field on April 26, 2019 in Indio, California.

Country singer Ashley Monroe said she has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.

The 34-year-old musician wrote on Instagram Tuesday that she learned of her diagnosis after her doctor, who'd requested routine lab work a few months ago, found out she was anemic.

Monroe said she felt "fine" at first, and imagined that she would just take some extra vitamins and "double up on cheeseburger patties," and then move on with her life.

Unfortunately, her red blood count kept falling, while her iron, B12 and folic numbers seemed to be fine.

After Monroe underwent a bone marrow biopsy, doctors found out she had a rare kind of blood cancer called Waldenström macroglobulinemia, which is "causing my body to be pretty severely anemic," the Grammy-nominated singer wrote. "And I feel it."

Waldenström macroglobulinemia, also referred to as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in which cancer cells make large amounts of an abnormal protein called a macroglobulin, according to the American Cancer Society.

But despite her scary diagnosis, the Knoxville, Tenn.-born singer-songwriter is approaching the situation with hope.

"Seems like such a negative thing to say," she said about her upcoming treatment. "Until I flip that doom feeling on its head and think, wow, I'm thankful I have an illness that is VERY live with-able."

Monroe who also shared a number of photographs in the post including a few of her 3-year-old son Dalton, her husband John Danks, as well as fellow singers and Pistol Annies bandmates Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley — said that she is "thankful there IS a treatment that actually works to fight what is causing harm to my body."

The "Satisfied" singer said she was also thankful for her 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" and for her "angel son," whom she is "fighting for the most."

Monroe said that she was initially hesitant to post about her illness on social media, but she said that she has done a lot of research, and she is very happy with her doctors.

She also added that she "would greatly appreciate [it] if no one gave me any unsolicited advice or medical opinions." But she could use some prayers.

"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," she wrote. "I love you all big. Here I go."

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