Search Results
Elizabeth
I was diagnosed with lymphoma in October 2017 after three months of dithering doctors even though I live in New York City and had good health insurance. After three months of dithering and a diagnosis, I was told the next appointment at the treatment department was in two months. I had the good fortune to have heard about Dr. Morton Colemen because he had treated a friend's mother 15 years before. He became my doctor that day, and I revere him.
Sydney
My grandfather, Michael, passed away from leukemia in 1991. While I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I have always considered him to be my guardian angel. My grandmother and best friend, Patrice, has been a loyal advocate, supporter, and donor to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) ever since his passing. Additionally, she served as vice president for two years and president of LLS for four years. We love how committed LLS is to the research and care of those with blood cancer.
Geoff
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on April 13, 1995, at Arlington Hospital (now VHC Health) and was hospitalized there for 32 days for chemotherapy. I received a second round of chemotherapy (high-dose) at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital a few weeks later. Afterward, I received an autologous stem cell transplant at Sloan Kettering. I was discharged on August 13, 1995, and readmitted in late August for two days for an infection. I have been cancer-free since then.
What to Tell Your Child
Regardless of age, children are usually aware when their health causes their parents concern. Your child may experience a variety of emotions, such as anger, guilt, fear, anxiety and sadness, all in quick succession. Sometimes parents wish to shield their child from information about the illness and its treatment. Keep in mind that your child will use his or her imagination to fill in perceived gaps of information. Talk with your child about the illness and its treatment. Listen carefully to what your child is saying (or not saying) and then answer his or her questions.
Lashelle
In 2019, knots started to appear on my neck and jawline. My face was also massively swollen. I was unrecognizable. I had difficulty breathing, and major parts of my body were swollen as well. After several tests and two surgeries, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma (NHL). I was told that if the cancer had stages, I was considered stage 4.
Lia
Hi Everyone! My name is Lia Sartorio and I am 21 years old. I am Stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma SURVIVOR! My world was turned upside down on May 6th, 2019, when I was diagnosed with lymphoma. I had been experiencing severe back pain for a few months, and after many unsuccessful chiropractic visits, I was prescribed an MRI. Expecting to see nothing but a pinched nerve, the MRI uncovered that I had abnormal bone marrow in my lower back and pelvis. Within two weeks of my MRI, I underwent a CT Scan, a PET scan, a bone marrow biopsy, and a surgical Lymph Node Biopsy.
Amy
I am a stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor (NHL). The diagnosis came as a complete shock since I was a relatively healthy, active young adult working and enjoying life with family and friends. With a family history of breast cancer, I was advised to start having screening mammograms in my 20s. After a few clear screenings, I approached my 2018 screening and annual health visit to my primary care doctor's office with optimism. Within 48 hours, I received the dreaded call many women fear ― abnormal results.
Follow-Up Care
Click here for information about follow-up care, including what to expect, long-term and late effects of treatment, survivorship clinics, and other resources such as The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines.
Related Links- Download or order The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's factsheet Hairy Cell Leukemia
Follow-Up Care
Click here for information about follow-up care, including what to expect, long-term and late effects of treatment, survivorship clinics, and other resources such as The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines.
Related Links- Download or order The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s free booklet, Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.
Follow-Up Care
Click here for information about follow-up care, including what to expect, long-term and late effects of treatment, survivorship clinics, and other resources such as The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines.
Related Links- Download or order The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s free booklet, Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.
Follow-Up Care
Click here for information about follow-up care, including what to expect, long-term and late effects of treatment, survivorship clinics, and other resources such as The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines.
Related Links- Download or order The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s free booklet, Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.
James
I am a cancer survivor and my story starts in the summer of 1999. On June 9, an MRI revealed a tumor the size of a golf ball in my brain. A biopsy showed it to be a primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I remember this date vividly because it was my wife’s birthday and she had to break the news to me. This marked the beginning of our journey.
Jacqueline
It’s been five years since my daughter was diagnosed with stage ¾ Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). She had just graduated college, and she had a lump on her right clavicle area. We went to the doctor, and then it all started, from CT scans to biopsy to telling us that it would be six months of chemo, and that’s it.
Lenny
I am nominating an extraordinary person, that I have never met in person before. This person truly changed my life in many ways. He has performed many positive actions that changed my perspective and outlook of people for the better. He truly has the power to change millions of people's and or their family's lives, and my family and I were fortunate to be the recipients of access to his extensive knowledge base and his immediate comforting support.
Gianna
My story began nearly seven years ago on February 28 when I received the call from my doctor and heard those dreaded words, “You have cancer.” A week prior, I had gotten a lymph node biopsy for a lump that randomly grew on my neck. As a healthy 19-year-old, cancer was the furthest thing from my mind, and receiving a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) was simply unbelievable to me and my family. Hearing this news began a three-week blur of diagnostic testing and meetings with oncologists, fertility specialists, and surgeons before my first chemotherapy treatment on March 23, 2015.
Jill
My world changed forever in April 2021. Life was going so well . . . I was 35 years old, my kids Henry (9), Olivia (7), and Ruby (5) were getting excited about summer break (and all the trips we had planned), my insurance business was in full swing, and all my plants and flowers were in bloom. I was doing what I loved most, working in the yard, when I noticed my right pinky finger was going numb, and I began having trouble walking. We immediately went to the ER. The doctors initially thought it was a stroke, but luckily a fantastic neurosurgeon was on call and saw the MRI.
Yaneiry
Certain things come into your life to show you how strong you are. Life is so fragile, and we don’t know if we will be here on this earth in the future. This process shows me that the most important thing in life is having health and making beautiful memories with loved ones.
Barry
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in May of 2003. The diagnosis came after three or four months of tests attempting to diagnose a lump from my neck (which was ultimately removed). My wife and I were told that I had a disease that was considered treatable but not curable. My particular sub-type, follicular, has a tendency to reoccur. I was referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The staging test results showed I had a very small amount of the disease on the whole, but it was present in my bone marrow, which is considered Stage IV, or
Sue
It’s 2015 and I am doing my happy dance! It’s been 20 years since my bone marrow transplant for my chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and I am still here enjoying what life brings my way.
Russell
In the tapestry of life, there are moments that test the strength of the human spirit, moments that challenge our resolve and redefine our sense of purpose. For Russell, a Filipino-American music artist and entrepreneur, such a moment arrived six months after marrying the love of his life ― a moment that would alter the course of his life forever.
Madison
On April 23, 2020, at the age of 15, my whole world changed. I got the call that I was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) while getting ready for a birthday party. Throughout quarantine, I had to undergo four cycles of chemotherapy and 14 days of radiation consisting of countless days in and out of the hospital. I had allergic reactions to a few of my chemotherapies which caused me to stop breathing, and they happened at least once every cycle which was scary. My hair eventually started falling out in clumps, and the day I had to cut it off was probably when I cried the most.
Daron
My cancer journey started back in 2021 during COVID. I worked in EMS as a paramedic. I started noticing that I was losing weight, coughing up blood, hurting continuously, losing my vision, and sleeping 16 hours a day or more while working in the medical field. I knew I was in grave danger. After several months of enduring the symptoms, I went to my primary doctor and was turned away due to them thinking it was TB. I reached out to my employer and was able to be seen by the health department. They ordered an X-ray that showed a very large mass in my chest.
Debra
I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1995, just several months after my husband was required to go on dialysis for polycystic kidneys. We had three very young children then and my only chance of survival was to have an allogeneic bone marrow transplant, which at the time was considered experimental. I left my home and children for three months, which was so difficult, and went to Pittsburgh for my transplant.
George
My awareness of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) began years ago when a close family member was diagnosed with leukemia. In the wake of such devastating news, I felt compelled to lend a hand. I am honored to join the LLS family in their fight to cure blood cancers.
Nanci
I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in January 2009. My doctor said the average life span was three years if not for the newer drug called Gleevec, a drug that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) had been involved in the research of it. I started on Gleevec in February, but after a week I was taken off it to bring my immune system back up. Back on Gleevec, I reached remission in July 2009. I now have been in remission for 12½ years. I now take the generic brand due to the cost.