Search Results
Nathaniel
I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on October 27, 2020. I was 24 years old at the time, and my girlfriend had just given birth to our son a month before I got sick. I was first admitted to St. Mary’s Medical Hospital in Apple Valley, California, then later transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center. The next year was the hardest for me, not being able to help my girlfriend take care of our newborn baby boy, missing holidays, birthdays, family gatherings, and events. I was constantly in and out of the hospital, so much so that it felt like I lived there.
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.
George
I was born in the inner city of Philadelphia, PA in 1951, I currently live near Dallas, Texas. My professional career in the Information Technology Industry lasted over 40 years prior to my retirement in January 2019. In 2002 I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and many aspects of my life changed forever.
Casey
At 31, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a rare children’s cancer. Four months into treatment, I had a stroke and seizures and went into a medically induced coma for three days. I had to relearn how to use the entire left side of my body (yes, walk, talk, and function) while still going through treatment. My treatment protocol was 18 months long. Seven weeks after I finished, I relapsed. My body was no longer responding to chemotherapy, so we tried an immunotherapy that sent me into a cytokine release storm (your body starts to attack itself).
Taylor
Hello! I am Taylor, and most people know me for being a human biology premed student at the University of California San Diego. However, what most people don’t know is I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer in March of this year. I have systemic mastocytosis (SM) which leads to lots of anaphylactic reactions and hospital visits. I spend lots of time getting tests because my cancer is rare and infusions at the cancer center. I have had several types of chemotherapy drugs and many biopsies.
Ashen
My son, Ashen graduated from high school this year, but he was diagnosed with leukemia back in July 2015. He was devastated and depressed when he was told of his life threatening illness. Here is his story.
Ronnie
After several months of flu-like symptoms, 11-year-old All Star little leaguer Ronnie took a blood test that would determine his white blood cell count was nearly 1 million. Ronnie was immediately sent to Ann and Robert H. Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago where he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Brianna
My name is Brianna Ciambra I live in New York and this is my story. When I was eleven, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I went through two in a half years of chemotherapy which consisted of IV meds, spinal taps, steroids etc. I lost my hair during the chemo, which was very hard. I also developed a condition called Avascular necrosis. Avascular necrosis is bone loss in the joints, since 2009 I have had full bilateral hip and shoulder replacements. I also had my right knee fully replaced and two spinal surgeries.
Richard
People tend to think that cancer will never affect them. I know, because I was once one of those people. Growing up, I never knew of anyone that had cancer. Then, in 2005, my father-in-law contracted a brain tumor; the worst type. I remember feeling a sort of, panicky feeling in the beginning as we were told he had three to six months to live. However, since day one, he had the best outlook on life and he lived until 2008. He is just one of my hero’s.
Mackenzie
At nine years old I received the devastating news that I had leukemia. I didn’t know exactly what this meant and little did I know that it meant years of treatment, hair loss, loss of friends, and learning who I was meant to be. I was a patient at St. Jude and received treatments for two and a half years. I lost my hair, I had SVTs, I had seizures, and everything that could happen did happen. I was so sick throughout my entire treatment, and I didn’t get to do very much. I was in the hospital most of the time, and very seldom was I had home or not in patient.
Sarah
In August of 2014, after a routine medical procedure, doctors suspected that Sarah may have a lymphoma type cancer. Soon thereafter, with her husband by her side, doctors confirmed that Sarah indeed had cancer, stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma.
Brianna
My name is Brianna Ciambra I live in New York and this is my story. When I was eleven, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. I went through two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy which consisted of IV meds, spinal taps, steroids etc. I lost my hair during the chemo, which was very hard. I also developed a condition called Avascular necrosis. Avascular necrosis is bone loss in the joints, since 2009 I have had full bilateral hip and shoulder replacements. I also had my right knee fully replaced and two spinal surgeries.
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.
Max
My son Max was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma in May 2017, just 10 days before his 19th birthday. He discovered a lump under his chin a few months before, and in April he noticed it had grown. After we took him to get it checked out and learned the devastating news, we were in complete shock. He had no other signs of anything else being wrong.
Bella
Looking back at when this journey started, it kind of feels unreal. Life can change in an instant. For us, that moment was on September 2, 2016. Bella had been having fevers on and off for two months with no other symptoms and medicine was barely keeping them down. We took her to the doctor's office and were told it was probably just a virus.
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.
Steve
I was diagnosed with stage 4 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2015. It is not known if Humira (a drug I was prescribed) caused it or just blew up the AML. On the night of diagnosis, I was told the hospital I was in could not treat me, and I would be transferred in the morning. About the time my wife returned home, she received a call that I had taken a turn for the worse and was being transferred immediately. During this time, we decided to use humor during interactions with all medical personnel from there on out.
Katie
Twenty years ago I did two things that shaped my life.
Joy
My mother, Joy, was diagnosed in 2015 with follicular lymphoma (FL) in her stomach. She went into remission after chemo treatment. Six months later, it came back, this time more aggressive and on the outside of her organs. They did CHOP chemo and then a bone marrow transplant. She went into remission for a second time. Eight months later, she wasn't feeling spectacular, so we took her back to the doctor. She was diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The mass was in her uterus and had grown so fast and massive that it blasted through her bladder.
Josie
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in July 2024 at age 28.
I was working at a veterinary clinic when I started noticing splotches appearing on my skin. I thought it was maybe a case of ringworm I had contracted from one of the animal patients. I was also losing weight and suffering from intense dizzy spells daily.
I ignored the signs my body was giving me until it was almost too late. I felt very sick, and my gums were swelling. I went to Urgent Care where they diagnosed me with COVID-19 and sent me home with some cough drops and a nasal spray.
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 .
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.
Disease Complications
Myeloma and treatment of myeloma can lead to mild to serious health complications and side effects. Some of these symptoms can be managed with ongoing supportive (palliative) care. Others may be medical emergencies requiring immediate attention. Always tell your healthcare team if you experience new or worsening symptoms.
PainPain related to myeloma or myeloma treatment can include
Related Diseases
Myeloma shares some similar features and symptoms with other blood disorders, including: