Music
15 Jul 21

Ashley Monroe reveals blood cancer diagnosis

The Pistol Annies member took to social media to announce that she will begin chemotherapy this week.

Country singer Ashley Monroe has said in an Instagram post that following routine tests for anemia, she has been diagnosed with a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma called Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM).

Monroe, who is 34, posted a series of photographs of herself holding flowers and standing alongside her family. She reflected on the gratitude she felt for her life, saying "THANKFUL for 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. Thankful for my angel son. Who I am fighting for the most."

The musician's openness in regards to this news has led to much support from her fans. Her optimistic attitude permeated through her post as she said, "A few months ago my dr. was doing some routine lab work and found that I was anemic. I was like, FINE, I’ll just double up on cheeseburger patties, take some extra vitamins and call it a day.

"Well my red blood count just kept falling, and they found out my iron /b12/ folic acid numbers were actually fine. short story long, they did a bone marrow biopsy, (ouch), and VOILA.. a rare kind of blood c word called 'waldenstrom macroglobulinemia.’

"It’s causing my body to be pretty severely anemic, and I feel it.

"So, I start chemo tomorrow. Seems like such a negative thing to say. 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 formed the Pistol Annies with Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley in 2009. They released their last album Interstate Gospel in 2018.