Search Results
Carolyn
In November 2014, my daughter Valerie was born. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection by my doctor and received 3 rounds of antibiotics because it just wasn’t going away. Life was hectic as I learned to care for my newborn and I was getting into a new routine. Some of my lymph nodes became swollen. I was having night sweats. I developed a rash and high fevers.
Jaimie Potvin
Finding cures for cancer is especially close to my heart. In 2011, my brother, Cory was diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma. Our dad was already a two-time survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, so we truly believed he would survive blood cancer too. When his treatment showed no signs of improvement, it was devastating. Cory died six years ago and I still miss him so much every single day.
Richard
I received a nasty present for my 60th birthday. I was informed that I had stage 4 follicular lymphoma. Wow! Now what do I do? I was referred to a wonderful oncologist, Dr. Stephen Grabelsky, for treatment. Dr.
Brandi
My concerns began to rise when I noticed some spotting/bleeding between cycles that would last for 10 minutes or less. Additionally, I also started to experience slight abdominal cramps first thing in the morning. I’ve always been a deep sleeper and rarely woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That escalated to me waking up multiple times in the middle of the night to try to use the restroom, sometimes without cramps and other times with extreme abdominal cramps.
Treatment
In general, the goal of treatment is to destroy as many lymphoma cells as possible and to induce a complete remission. Complete remission means that all evidence of disease is eliminated. Patients who go into remission are sometimes cured of their disease. Treatment can also keep non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in check for many years, even though imaging or other studies show remaining sites of disease. This situation may be referred to as a “partial remission.”
Understanding Blood Cancers and Treatment Options
Leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are types of cancer that can affect the bone marrow, blood cells, lymph nodes and other parts of the lymphatic system. See the Disease Information pages to learn more about the different types of blood cancer.
Nutrition
Food provides valuable nutrients for cancer patients. Eating well during cancer treatment helps to speed recovery, ease side effects, and keep the treatment plan running smoothly.
Christian
This is my son Christian Bienek, When he was 9 years old, he was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.
After 2 1/2 years of chemo, Christian went into remission on January 6, 2013. He is now 13 and doing well. He is my hero and my heart. He is a fighter and a survivor.
Allie
I received a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) at age 24 right before the pandemic started. I finished chemo in April 2020 and have been cancer-free ever since. I’ve participated in Light The Night (LTN) since 2029 and have raised over $100,000.
Nicole
It all started back in early January 2013. I went to the local clinic in town because I was having pain in my upper left chest. Being young, I wasn't too concerned about it being a heart problem and left the clinic with the diagnosis of torn cartridge. The doctor said it would heal and I should take ibuprofen to ease the pain.
Haley
I was diagnosed on February 21, 2020, with stage 3B nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma (NSHL). I was attending UNLV and working on finishing my prerequisites to apply to the nursing program. One month later, COVID hit the U.S. and shut everything down. I had to go to all of my appointments alone. I was able to freeze my eggs before starting treatment two days later on April 3, 2020. I felt like my entire world had been turned upside down, just for the entire world to descend into chaos. It was a very scary and stressful time.
Riley
In November of 2021, I found a lump on my neck that lead me to my primary care doctor's walk-in clinic due to the amount of growth I had seen over a few weeks. I believed it to be related to thyroid or my previous diagnosis of lupus of the skin, which I later found out I did not actually have. The doctor at the clinic sent me for a CT scan of my neck and an ultrasound at which point it was determined that I had lymphoma. I received a few more CT scans that showed more masses in my lungs and the majority of my upper body.
Matthew
Three months into my husband’s yearlong deployment to South Korea, Captain Matthew Marggraf started noticing a painless lump forming on the side his neck. Thinking it was just his body adjusting to its new environment he thought nothing of it. When he visited home for two short weeks for our wedding and honeymoon in October we noticed the now golf ball sized lump. They urged him to get it checked out as Hodgkins lymphoma ran in his family.
Douglas
In December 2007 my life completely changed. I had a biopsy done just four days before Christmas, and my oncologist called me on Christmas Day to tell me that I needed to come in and see him after the holidays to discuss my pathology report. I was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. I endured five surgeries in just four weeks and spent my 36th birthday in the hospital. I never once thought that cancer was going to beat me. My mindset was that I had cancer, but it did not have me.
Kristen
I was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) when I was 21 years old. It was the summer going into my senior year of college, and I had just returned home from a semester abroad. I assumed the stomachaches I was experiencing were because of the food and drinks I had while enjoying my time in Europe. I was actually told I had H. pylori and started antibiotics that were supposed to alleviate the stomach pains. But then a lump on my neck appeared, and I thought the worst.
Brescia
I am a Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with cancer during my college years and took a semester off to begin chemotherapy and treatment. This was an incredibly scary and challenging time in my life. As any cancer survivor contemplates upon diagnosis, one of my initial thoughts was, “How long do I have?” Not knowing the answer to that question was one of my biggest fears as I felt like I hadn’t accomplished everything I wanted to in my lifetime. After several rounds of chemotherapy, losing most of my hair, and feeling more exhausted than I’ve ever felt in my lifetime .
Liesel
In July of 2018 my life was flipped upside down when I was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The disease was further complicated by a tumor in my chest which led to a blood clot in my neck that later traveled to my lung.
I went through 6 months of chemotherapy, and can happily say I’m in remission!
Roberto
In the fall of 2014, I was living my dream. I had just finished my freshman year at NYU, where I studying musical theater. I was living in the East Village, experiencing everything that New York has to offer. Even though I was a long way from my family in Miami, I absolutely loved it. However, I soon started to feel lethargic, coupled with a lymph node that was popping out of my neck and getting bigger. Something just wasn’t right. I was downing 9 Advil a day and started seeing doctors to try and figure out what was going on.
Psychological and Cognitive Effects
Psychological EffectsMost childhood survivors of cancer are psychologically healthy. However, some studies indicate that a small number of childhood leukemia or lymphoma survivors were more likely than healthy peers to report changes in mood, feelings or behavior, including depression or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Talk to your child’s healthcare team if you notice any changes in your child’s mood or behavior, especially if these changes begin to interfere with your child’s daily life.
Felicia
Hi, my name is Felicia. I was diagnosed in 2021 with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Unfortunately, my kidneys failed, and now I am on dialysis three days a week. I am now on the list for another kidney. I want to share my story to encourage other people. I also have an artificial leg since I was born.
Krisha
I’m always open for an opportunity to dedicate my time and efforts in assisting those in need. I am on a mission to provide support and comfort to individuals who are battling leukemia and lymphoma. This is in honor of my relatives who have lost their lives to cancer. I am extremely happy to be able to be part of a cause that helps other survive and thrive.
Neil
It all started with what I thought was an injury to my right hip from "banana boating" while on a family vacation in Myrtle Beach in 2006. The pain wouldn't leave, so I went through physical therapy with moderate success. But night sweats, incredible nightmares, and utter exhaustion were also taking place. The doctor decided to do a scan. The abnormalities showed that a referral to an oncologist was needed. It all went downhill very fast from there with liver failure and fainting spells. I was a Spanish teacher and could barely make it through the day.