Veteran Ocala Police Officer Jason Douglas is eager to return to work. But his body won t allow that just yet.
Late last month, Douglas noticed he was getting tired easily and he didn t know why. He didn t think the symptoms seemed like COVID-19. He thought it was more likely that his allergies, and the effects of new medications, might be taking a toll.
Douglas eventually wound up in the Ocala Regional Medical Center emergency room. Medical staff ran tests and more tests, which led to a bone marrow biopsy. It yielded a devastating result: Douglas had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which WebMD defines as a blood cancer that can spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver and spleen.