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Dylan and Conner

When Dylan was a senior in high school, at the age of 17, he was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). He was getting ready for his last semester of high school and ready to pursue his dreams of playing college volleyball when life confronted him with a massive health battle. He spent the next six months putting up a constant fight and underwent 12 chemotherapy treatments. Although every day was a battle, Dylan ultimately came out on top and was declared cancer-free in the summer of 2021. He is now set to graduate from Miami University next fall and plans to become an educator.

Justin

My husband, Justin, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in June 2021. At the time, he was a healthy, energetic, 33-year-old dad of three. He just completed all treatment in January 2024. We received some funds from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as well as information and inspiration. Throughout treatment, my husband fought so hard and had very difficult moments. He went into septic shock from a blood infection, had an ICU stay, and had to get both his hips replaced because of an infection that led to bone on bone. He couldn’t walk for months.

Carol

I have been told that my story is rare, so I would like to see if there is anyone who has had the same experience. I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) in February 2023. I started chemo treatment in March 2023 and continued through May 2024. In February 2024, I noticed some changes happening to my body. I was losing weight, losing hair, had extremely dry skin, and had less and less energy. When I went for my PET scan in May 2024 to see if I had lesions in my spine from the MM, I was told they were completely gone, and I was most likely in remission.

Joseph

I came down with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2006 which transformed into an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (NHL) in 2013. In 2015, I received an umbilical cord transplant at Penn Medicine Hospital in Philadelphia which was successful. This month, I celebrate nine years post-transplant. 

Kate

When I went for my annual physical in 2013, my doctor called me to tell me that my bloodwork looked strange. He asked me to get it tested again to be sure of the result. I did not have any symptoms at all. Within a week, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), something I'd never heard of. I had no idea what this would mean. It took me a while to find the right oncology team, but once I did, they were amazing. After lots of tests (including a bone marrow biopsy), I was started on medication, at a low dose, because I'm a pretty small person.

Carlos

I was diagnosed in September 2017 with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and by May 2019, I was told of the need for a bone marrow transplant (BMT). And even though they told me about a "new life after transplant," my life has completely changed. I could not go back to work because of graft vs. host disease (GVHD) and multiple infections during and post-transplant. I’m still on immunosuppressants and chemo-brain with cognitive issues. It has been very hard not to return to practicing Family Medicine since my patients could literally kill me.

Shanna

Everything was going great in life. I had just quit my job to pursue my dreams of starting a business, moved closer to family, bought our first house, and got a puppy. Then, a small lump on my neck changed my life forever.

I, a 25-year-old half marathoner with no health issues, was diagnosed with stage 2a Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The chemo (ABVD) about killed me. I went from living an active life to needing help with the simplest of tasks. But I made it through, and boy, did we celebrate.

Robert

I’m 37 years old, and I was recently diagnosed with stage 4 high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Life was going well. I got promoted at my job and was doing great when all of a sudden, my life changed forever. It started with severe leg and back pain. I went to the hospital and had some basic tests done, and they sent me home. Two days later, I was back in the hospital because the pain was so intense I could barely get out of bed or walk without assistance.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are common to other, less serious illnesses. However, if you're troubled by any of the following symptoms, see your doctor: 

It is common for people with AML to feel a loss of well-being because of the underproduction of normal bone marrow cells. 

Symptoms of a low red blood cell count (called “anemia”) include:

CMML Subtypes

Most people diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) have one of three different subtypes of CMML. Doctors classify CMML subtypes by the percentage of blast cells ("blasts") in the blood and bone marrow.

Doctors use a classification system developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 and updated in 2016. The three subtypes are:

Chemotherapy and Drug Therapy

If you're being treated for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), your first line of defense may be drug therapy. You'll be given potent drugs that must be toxic enough to damage or kill the cancer cells. At the same time, these drugs take aim at normal cells and cause side effects. Yet, not everyone experiences side effects and people react differently. 

There is no one standard treatment for CMML. There are three FDA approved treatments for patients, which include:

Treatment Outcomes

Treatment results and outcomes vary among patients. The advent of the chemotherapy drug cladribine (Leustatin®) has resulted in approximately an 85 percent rate of complete remission (no evidence of the disease) and approximately 10 percent rate of partial response.

Many patients remain disease free for years or decades after treatment with cladribine or pentostatin (Nipent®) and have a normal life expectancy.

Side Effects

Therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can produce side effects. For most patients, treatment side effects are temporary and go away once therapy ends. For other patients, side effects can be severe, sometimes requiring hospitalization.

Before you start treatment, talk with your doctor about potential side effects. Drugs and other therapies can prevent or manage many side effects. Many treatment side effects go away or become less noticeable over time.

The side effects you may experience depend on:

Treatment

Parents are advised to

• Seek treatment from a hematologist/oncologist who is experienced in treating JMML, or from a hematologist/oncologist who is in consultation with a cancer center.
• Speak with their child’s doctor about the most appropriate treatment. 

Without treatment, JMML progresses rapidly. There are two widely used JMML treatment protocols: stem cell transplantation and drug therapy.

Helping Siblings Cope

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, everyone in his or her family is affected by the experience, including the child's brothers and sisters. Siblings can feel angry, anxious, lonely or sad. They may even feel guilty for being healthy or for resenting the attention their sibling is getting. You can help your children cope with a sibling’s diagnosis in some of the following ways:

Thomas

My name is Thomas, and I was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) two weeks after my 30th birthday. Nobody wants to hear the words, "You have cancer," and even though my wife had some suspicions due to my recent weight loss and lower energy levels, it still came as a shock to both of us. The news hit hard, especially since all other aspects of my life were going extremely well. My wife and I had just moved to a new state earlier in the year, I received a promotion at work, we had just returned from a business trip out of state, and overall, things seemed to be going our way.

Zach

It was 2020, and besides the obvious chaos in the world, at that time my life was going great. My business was thriving, I had just gotten engaged, and my fiancée and I were beginning to talk about starting a family. I was at what felt like the peak of my life. Everything was going my way, or so I thought.

Heidi

My story starts a year before I was officially diagnosed. For months, I had been having GI issues, severe stomach pain, unexplained weight loss, and unexplained anemia. I was seeing the nurse practitioner (NP) at my primary care provider’s (PCP) office who kept prescribing antacids and attributed my symptoms to anxiety. It wasn't until a full year after my symptoms began that I went to a different NP at that office for swelling in my neck that had originally been dismissed as a muscle strain. She didn't like what she saw and immediately sent me for a CT scan.

Steve

I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) after moving from New Orleans to San Antonio, Texas. What started as a routine visit to an allergist for swelling in my cheeks, eyes, and neck turned into a life-changing moment when a CT scan revealed the unthinkable. In that devastating instant when my doctor delivered the news, I discovered that sometimes life's darkest moments can lead you to exactly where you need to be. The people of San Antonio didn't just welcome me ― they embraced me, making their city my sanctuary.

Yarnall Family

To be of service to others comes naturally to the Yarnalls. Bob is a 25-year Marine Corps veteran and a teacher. Kim is a chiropractor for over 22 years.

Jonathan

Life is such a blessing. Sometimes we think that there’s no way out, we limit ourselves, or we simply think to give up. Truth is, like we say in my family, “Solo hay que estar vivo para ver cosa,” or “You only have to be alive to witness things.”

My parents are first-generation immigrants from the Dominican Republic. I am a cancer survivor.

Kori

This may be the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever shared. I tend to not like to share too much of my personal life on social media. I am a businesswoman, so a few pictures of my kids, family, or vacations are usually the extent of what I put out there. But if what I’m about to say here about my story helps even one person listen to their gut or body, then I am proud to have helped. Please take a few minutes to read this.

Signs and Symptoms

People who have chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) may not have any symptoms at first. Often, patients learn they have CML after a routine physical exam or a blood test. CML signs and symptoms tend to develop gradually. Those with symptoms often report experiencing: 

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms vary from patient to patient and depend on the type of CMML. Click here to learn more about subtypes of CMML. 

Those with a myelodysplastic subtype (MD-CMML) tend to present with low blood cell counts. Signs and symptoms may include:

Signs and Symptoms

Some patients initially have no symptoms of MDS, and abnormal results from routine blood tests may be the earliest signs of the disease. For patients with symptoms, it is common not to feel well because of the lack of normal, healthy blood cells.

Anemia is a decrease in the number of healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Anemia may cause symptoms such as: