Search Results
Emily
Summer 2019 I was feeling great and cancer was the last thing on my mind. I had just run a half marathon and was planning to do a few more destination races. Shortly after the half marathon, I started getting awful knee pain. It was excruciating but I never thought much of it, assuming it was just an injury. After making an appointment at a sports medicine facility an MRI revealed there was a good size tumor in my left knee. This doctor told me it is most likely a giant cell tumor which is benign. From there he referred me to an orthopedic specialist down in Boston.
Claudia
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) at the age of 30 after experiencing severe symptoms (cough, shortness of breath). I’m currently under treatment in Italy, my home country, and only have one round of chemo left. This journey has been difficult but has also taught me so much about myself, my strength, and the courage I didn’t think I had.
Acosta
In 1992 my son was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3 and after 3 yrs of chemotherapy he’s finally cured.
In 2009 I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma stage 4. I underwent 3 years of chemotherapy and today I’m in remission!
As mother and son survivors, we have been walking and part taking in as many events as we can, he’s my inspiration! We will walk again this year together once again!
Kristen
I’d like to share my daughter’s story. Her name is Kristen, and she is 10 years in remission now after being treated for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). December 2024 will be 11 years. We have been attending Light The Night (LTN) for the last eight years and bring friends and family each time. It is a great event that offers support for all patients and family members.
Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
In autologous stem cell transplantation, the procedure uses the patient’s own stem cells for the transplant. The stem cells are collected from the patient in advance and are frozen. After the patient undergoes high doses of chemotherapy, either with or without radiation therapy, the stem cells are then returned to the body. This type of transplant is often used to treat blood cancers such as Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma.
Chemotherapy and Drug Therapy
Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for HL. A combination chemotherapy regimen consists of two or more chemotherapy drugs. Generally, the drugs are dissolved in fluid and usually administered via a peripheral intravenous (IV) line. If finding an accessible vein is problematic, a central line (a port, or a peripherally inserted central venous catheter (a PICC or PIC line) may be used for some HL patients.
Side Effects
Cancer treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma can produce side effects. The goal of treatment is to kill the cancer cells, but cancer treatments can damage healthy cells too which causes side effects.
Patients react to treatments in different ways. Some patients may have very mild side effects. For other patients, side effects can be more severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization. For most patients, treatment side effects are temporary and go away once therapy ends.
Kristen
I am a mom of four, married for 22 years, and was recently diagnosed with a very rare leukemia/lymphoma. I am a licensed speech-language pathologist, health coach, and have my own podcast. I began treatment in January of this year and will follow treatment with a bone marrow transplant. I am an encourager, and my desire is to use this diagnosis to bring hope. I know this journey is not about me! It’s about bringing hope to the hopeless and love to the lonely.
Dorette
I was first told I had non-hodgkin's lymphoma at the age of 20. I had no idea what that was, I just knew it was a form of cancer and that there was a possibility that I may not survive.
My first reaction was shock, then I was in denial, and then I felt scared. I came to an acceptance that I may not live but I have to at least fight trying.
I started my treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. I'm now proud to say it's been 26 years since. I survived! I beat Cancer!
Matt
On February 2nd, 2019 my youngest daughter, Harper, was diagnosed with leukemia. Three and a half years later as I'm writing this I have a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. Harper and our family are fortunate. She has great insurance, access to world class care, treatment options that are highly effective, and an amazing support network. That said she, and all cancer patients, must fight for their lives. I'll never forget spending the evening before her birthday in the emergency room with severe bone pain (a common side effect from her treatment).
Alyssa
My story begins with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism but they noticed something unusual with my white blood cell count, which was elevated but I had no infection. Further tests revealed that it was lymphoma. My initial diagnosis was incorrect so I went for a second opinion at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. They performed extensive bloodwork and my official diagnosis was primary splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL).
Lindy
I will forever remember August 2008, when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). I felt terrible one day at work, so my coworkers had insisted that I be seen, and sent me to the hospital. I was sitting in the ER in shock. Cancer? Lymphoma? I needed all the information on my condition, and I needed it now.
Alison & Keith
This is a love story about two Team In Training honorees, Alison and Keith. Keith has been a recreational runner for many years and first learned of Team In Training (TNT) as a fundraising sponsor for a friend. Upon his diagnosis of follicular lymphoma in 2008, Keith says he knew right away that direct involvement with TNT was an obvious step; he became an honoree for the South Bay and Peninsula run teams during his initial chemotherapy treatments, and ran with the teams every few weeks in that first “honoree season.”
Nicole
I am 25 years-old, and I am a two-time cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma at 16 years-old. It all began with chest pains that increased, later to find a tumor the size of a fist in my chest. After three rounds of intensive chemotherapy and 28 sessions of radiation, I became cancer free in June 2009. I missed the second semester of my junior year of high school, but kept up as much as I could. Since then, I have graduated with a bachelor of arts in clinical/counseling psychology.
Taylor
In February of 2019, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). What started with a simple cough quickly turned into the most challenging year of my life. When you hear the words “you have cancer,” the world stops spinning. There is no way to prepare for the cold, dark fear that takes over when there are so many unknowns. At this point, I didn't even know what lymphoma was. I was so lucky to have UCLA fighting with me and the incredible support of my entire family by my side. I owe it to all of them for pulling me through.
Avi
My journey began a few months into 2020. I was making plans to celebrate my birthday by going to some amusement parks I hadn't been to in many years. Unfortunately, that's when the pandemic hit, and going to the parks was no longer an option. A few months later, I started to get sick. Fever, night sweats, little to no appetite, weight loss. We didn't know if it was COVID-19 or not. I went to urgent care, and they didn't help (sent me home with Tylenol), and I was still not feeling it. I went to get bloodwork as something was off and I was starting to show signs of jaundice.
James
I have leukemia/lymphoma and have been fighting this illness for seven years. I became ill in 2011 but made somewhat of a recovery until 2015 when I got really sick (upper respiratory issues) that took the medical system in Las Vegas more than a year to diagnose as leukemia. By the time I was hospitalized the first time, my white cell count was over 38,000. It took three hospitalizations before my illness was diagnosed. By the time I was diagnosed with lymphoma, my lungs had severe, unrecoverable damage, leaving me on oxygen most of the time, even during sleep.
Varad
I graduated in 2021 with an engineering degree and landed a full-time analyst position at a promising startup. My future was brimming with plans, and by 2022, I was gearing up to leave India for the United States — a dream I had nurtured for years.
Bryana
Hello everyone! My name is Bryana and in September 2022, at 23 years old, I was rushed to the hospital unable to breathe. I recently went on a trip to Las Vegas and had gotten sick while there, but never expected what was coming for me next. I was initially diagnosed with pneumonia but when I had a CAT scan done, the radiologist noticed an abnormal 5cm mass in my chest pushing on my bronchial tubes. My oxygen levels were low and my CBC came back abnormal, I had a severely low amount of WBC which brought up suspicion.
Ira
In August 2014, at age 48, I was literally in the best shape of my life. I was an avid cyclist, averaging more than 150 miles per week, leading groups of riders for my cycling club, and completing multiple 100-mile century rides in a single season. Over the course of just a few days, while cycling, I noticed a sudden setback in my performance. Virtually overnight I lost stamina, speed and endurance. Thinking I was battling a flu or virus I visited my doctor. Blood tests revealed an abnormality.
Jason
I’m a father of 4, a first responder, and a military reservist. I was diagnosed with stage 4 diffuse B cell lymphoma. After losing my cousin to leukemia and 2 months later receiving my diagnosis, my whole world was turned upside down.
Richard
It was Monday morning in January 2021. I gave my results to my wife at the kitchen table. She asked if I had read them, and I said no. I had been struggling with a chronic cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath for two to three months, so a CT scan was done to evaluate my lungs. I was simply too tired to read them. My wife scanned the papers and immediately started crying. There was a large 16 cm. tumor in my chest that was creating the symptoms and pressing on my lungs.
Mya
It was the end of my senior year in high school, and I was thrilled to be admitted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to achieve my double bachelor's. I worked hard. Despite the many restrictions of the pandemic, I volunteered, performed virtually, and worked two jobs all in preparation for a bigger life.
Thomas/TJ
This picture is of my brother and my son. Both fought valiantly from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma respectively.
It started in 2009 when my son, Thomas came home from his freshman year in college. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and was treated right away. He went through the regular protocol which lead to the next level and then trial drugs, radiation, and autonomous stem cell transplant.