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I was diagnosed at 23, transfusion-dependent until 25, and am now 27 and living "normally". It was a really rough 3-ish years, and I definitely do sometimes feel like I missed out on a lot during that time and was "robbed" of a chunk of my 20s. On the other hand, I am still (and always will be) so incredibly grateful to have come through it successfully that I rarely think about the lost time. I am getting to the point where I can look at having AA as a positive thing because it showed me who my real friends are, made me much more driven in accomplishing my goals, made me realize how insignificant day-to-day problems are, and made me appreciate pretty much everything. (I didn't realize what a privilege it was to go to the grocery store until I was too immunocompromised to do so!)
As other people have mentioned in previous posts, your age is an advantage because of the treatment-associated trauma that your body experiences. However, recovery is a long, slow road and is extremely frustrating, regardless of age. Hang in there! I am happy to answer any questions that you have.
-Becca
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