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The 29-year-old Bergenfield resident was achey and had a fever, but wanted to push through and finally finish the 16-month accelerated nursing program she started. Her symptoms came and went, and she figured that was because she wasn't letting herself rest.
But after 11 days with a fever, Meister went to the ER.
Doctors told her she had a bad case of COVID and sent her on her way, encouraging rest and Tylenol. Meister spent the following month in and out of urgent care until one night in November, when she suffered neck and rib pain, along with severe dizziness. That's when Meister decided it was time to forgo the fragmented care and find a healthcare provider.
She told her new doctor her whole story, and how all the tests were coming back negative. She wanted a full workup. And she got one, but in the meantime, Meister dragged herself to work as a nurse's assistant at Holy Name Medical Center and school, keeping her eye on the prize: Her bachelor's of science and nursing.
Meister's health was rapidly deteriorating, but finally, she had the test results to prove it. The results showed she had extremely low hemoglobin and white blood cell count. She was admitted to the hospital, the same one where she worked, and underwent a bone marrow biopsy almost immediately.
Doctors had a diagnosis within 24 hours on Dec. 9: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Meister's boyfriend, Roy Rellesiva, has spent the last 10 years working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He launched a GoFundMe page for her that had raised more than $10,000 as of Dec. 22.
Rellesiva says his girlfriend's attitude almost makes her plight look easy.
"I never thought this would happen to a loved one. I was devastated, surprised and shocked," he tells Daily Voice. "But in this process, Angela's been the one lifting me up. She'll say things like, 'It's okay, this is our journey.'
"Even when I know she’s not feeling well she’s always in a good mood just to keep us strong. She's resilient in that she won’t give up. She makes situations positive in any way she can."
As soon as doctors had a diagnosis, Meister was transferred to Hackensack University Medical Center, where she's been ever since for specialized care.
The diagnosis certainly came as a shock to Meister, but what scared her most was the prospect of being exactly a week from the last day of school, and not being able to finish.
"I had worked so hard to become a nurse. I had put my life on hold to do this program and earn my bachelor’s degree in 16 months," said Meister, who decided to start the program after losing her job as a recruiting coordinator during COVID, and wanted a career that would make an impact.
"Being in an accelerated program there are so many strict rules and things you just have to be present for, and they gave no wiggle room."
Luckily, when she got her diagnosis, school officials allowed Meister to finish virtually. It wasn't easy, but she made it happen — all from her bed at HUMC, while going through her first chemo treatment in the second week of December.
"That program was by far the hardest thing I have ever done and I really gave my all the last 16 months," she said. "Being able to finish on time is the most amazing accomplishment and reward to finally be done."
Now, Meister is entering her next battle even more prepared.
"It’s the perfect time for something like this to happen if it was going to happen to me," she said. "It will be financially hard because I won't be able to work, but it's the best time as any because I can finally focus on my health."
And she's got a support system like no other. Her boyfriend, family members, peers and friends have come together to rally for Meister, in a way she could have never expected, she said.
"I’ve had so much support that I’m able to be in this bubble of people just telling me to take care of myself," she said. "The nights are really hard but messages and support are what get me through."
Her sister, Jenny Pagan, is a nurse at Holy Name Medical Center.
"I’ve never learned chemo medicine... or worked in oncology but nursing is nursing, and having this medical background is incredibly empowering," Pagan said. "We trust the science, it's promising."
Understanding the lab values, the medicines, and Meister's plan of care has been giving the family hope. As have Meister's spirits.
"She's always been a positive person," Pagan continued. "She's always had this positive outlook and to see the way she's handling the situation now isn't surprising. It's inspiring to see how she's like, 'I can handle it.' She has nowhere to look but up."
Pagan noted how Meister sent her family a photo before her first chemotherapy treatment and said she felt like she was in a "bubble of love" because of all the support she's getting.
"She's more concerned with how we're doing and how we're holding up," Pagan said. "She's has that caring heart where she's thinking of someone else.
"This is gonna shape the path that she’s meant for and I’m excited to see what she does with all of this after she’s better."
While she largely hasn't shown it to others, there were moments Meister was terrified.
"I was really scared when I got my diagnosis and treatment plan that it would be basically torture the entire time as it’s going in my body," she said. "But it’s not like that and science has come so far to make this a curable disease.
"I have seen the best possible outcome every step of the way. This is something I am strong enough to do."
In fact, it's given her a whole knew outlook on her career.
"I never thought about oncology nursing," Meister said. "I thought it would be too sad, but this experience and the great care at HUMC made all the difference, that I'm thinking about it now. This is going to make me such a better nurse."
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