Search Results

Kevin

On October 30th, 2019, I was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at 39 years old and having been an athlete my entire life. I was actually swimming and training to compete when I got the news. With a wife of 13 years and three kids at home, an 11 yr old boy and twin 9-year-old girls, everything changed for our family, even just going out “Trick or Treating.”

Steve

In 2015, I started having issues with being able to fight a sinus infection. Several months later, my doctor ordered me to have a bone marrow test and I was diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Just days after my diagnosis, I started chemotherapy. It was the worst point in my life, I lost my hair, appetite, taste buds and my strength. The doctors encouraged me to get up and walk around the floor as much as I could to build my strength back.

Edward

In October 2015, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I had my first round of chemo then I was hospitalized for three months. I had various complications such as acute respiratory failure and difficulty with incubation. I also experienced a cardiopulmonary arrest for which I required resuscitation and intubation and my heart temporarily stopped for 5-10 minutes. I also developed bleeding on my left brain and septic shock.

Marie

In early 2017 we found out my husband Miguel had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diffuse large B-cell. It was the most frightening and overwhelming time of our lives. To this day I am amazed at how we got through it.

Michelle

I am 43 and will be 44 this year. I have been doing this forever, and I do it every year for everyone who's fighting, and surviving. and more. I love it, and I, too, am a six-time survivor of all cancers at different times of my life and possibly another. I am a childhood cancer survivor since I was 2½ years old. I had leukemia, and it was in the 80s so I had excruciating radiation and chemotherapy. I went through about three years of bone marrow and spinal taps and all the medications that they put me on until I was at least five years old.

Rowena

I was diagnosed in June 2022 with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and Philadelphia chromosome +. My blood was tested in April and all was well, by the time May came around I had 50% cell blasts. I was treated in December 2022 with chemo and my bone marrow transplant. Thankfully, my younger brother was a 100% match to be able to donate his cells. I’ve had some major problems with GVHD, especially with my eyes. Sometimes I get super dehydrated and can’t eat without vomiting. Thankfully I am now on Jakavi and Prednisone to help my esophagus, stomach, and dry mouth.

Layla

"Our LLS chapter has been there for us, with support and information that has helped immensely. We've formed a friends and family Ttam for the Light The Night Walk and it feels so rewarding to raise funds to help others who, like Layla, are bravely battling blood cancers." Alecia | Layla's mom

Signs and Symptoms

MF usually develops slowly. MF often does not cause early symptoms and may be found during a routine blood test. When fibrosis develops in the bone marrow, the bone marrow is unable to produce enough normal blood cells. The lack of blood cells causes many of the signs and symptoms of MF. These include:

Timothy

I am an awardee of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors. I currently hold an associate’s degree in science and am pursuing my bachelor's degree in biology at California State University, San Bernardino, (CSUSB). I am very grateful to be granted this scholarship to help pay for my tuition. In fact, this is the first scholarship I have ever been awarded during my education. These funds are a big stress reliever as it has provided me with the ability to avoid taking out a loan for school and given me peace of mind.

Nick

My former student, Nick K. was a previous honoree of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Diagnosed with a PNET brain tumor at age 4 and enduring two bouts of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as a result in the years to follow, Nick was obviously a fighter!

Laura

I became aware of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) after I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). A social worker at the hospital where I was being treated gave my information to the LLS Patient Services Manager, and she called me. Then she gave me the contact information for a patient who had young children like mine and was two weeks ahead of me in the process, and we spoke with each other.

Tina

Today I am CELEBRATING!! AHHHHH, SO BLESSED!!! It’s been 20 years since my leukemia diagnosis! I am celebrating because of so many reasons!

Miriam

I was extremely fatigued. I suspected that I had leukemia since I knew a lot about cancer. I saw my primary care doctor and described how bad I felt and my suspicion. He immediately ran blood tests and then referred me to a hematologist oncologist.

Flavio

On November 8, 2023, our world changed forever when my husband Flavio was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). What began as a normal recovery from Achilles tendon surgery quickly spiraled into something far more serious. It started with comments about how pale his skin had become, a sign we now realize was the first red flag. I also noticed unusual bruising on his back, but it was dismissed by the surgeon. After several more concerning moments where Flavio was left weak and exhausted from even simple tasks, we decided to get routine bloodwork done.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy, also known as “radiotherapy,” uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells in a small, targeted area of the body. Since radiation can also harm normal cells, whenever possible, radiation therapy is directed only at the affected lymph node areas in order to reduce the long-term side effects.

MDS Subtypes

There are several kinds (subtypes) of MDS. The subtype is determined from the results of the blood and bone marrow tests.

The current WHO classification guidelines identify six subtypes.The current WHO classification guidelines, which were updated in 2022, groups MDS based on genetic abnormalities and morphologically defined features (the appearance and number of the cells under a microscope).

The subtypes are determined by the following:

Signs and Symptoms

Polycythemia vera (PV) develops slowly, and it may not cause symptoms for many years. The condition is often diagnosed during a routine blood test before severe symptoms occur. 

Symptoms may include:

Lynn

My wife, Lynn Lancour, spent endless time and resources organizing a bicycle trip from San Diego to St. Augustine, approximately 3,000 miles, to raise funds and awareness for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  

Stefani

I was experiencing a really bad sore throat for at least a month. It would come and go. No meds or steroid shots about the fourth week helped. I attended a breast cancer event at my family’s restaurant. I was feeling bad, literally in tears and in lots of pain. My mother took me to the nearest hospital immediately after. On October 10, 2021, my life as a newly single mom changed forever. I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I was devastated. My kids can’t live without me. We immediately went straight into intense chemo and attacked this beast.

Chris

Chris is a retired Army colonel. He graduated from Temple University and set into life at home with his family when he was diagnosed with a hernia. In the process of preparing for healing, he was told the hernia was no longer his challenge as he had a rare form of leukemia. The battle was on long after the battlefield, and as a chemist, he knew like any soldier does that tomorrow is not promised. But courage, teamwork, a battle plan, family love, and a foundation built on research and millions of man-and-woman-hours showed that the light at the end of the tunnel was a bright shining star.

Kamal

Most Capital Region 16-year-olds are well into the routine of the school year by now. But Kamal Havercombe hasn’t started his junior year at Albany High School. He hasn’t set foot in a classroom yet. Instead, he has been in and out of the hospital getting multiple blood transfusions, fighting fevers as high as 108 degrees and undergoing chemotherapy sessions that leave him weak and sickened.

Kimberly

When my husband, NFL linebacker Elijah, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2005, shortly after retiring from the Oakland Raiders, we were stunned. Neither of us had ever heard of it.

Life with multiple myeloma became an instant roller coaster. As his caregiver I knew it was my job to learn as much as possible about what we were facing, while trying to keep things normal for our two young sons. 

Monica

Monica was learning how to be a new mom to a six-month-old baby when her night sweats got worse and worse. She also seemed to have a cough that would not go away. It turns out that her symptoms were not due to the daycare bugs her daughter brought home. In April 2017, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Her clinical care team discovered a malignant 5 inch mass in her chest near her heart.

Michele

Michele decided she wanted to volunteer with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) because she herself and millions of others have been impacted by cancer. Both of Michele’s parents passed away from cancer and during that time, a lot of people were there for them. She knows how important that was for her and her family.

Annais

My name is Annais. I am now five years old, and I will be one year in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) this September 1st.