Search Results
Amanda
I am now a two-time acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survivor. When I was diagnosed with AML, it was an absolute complete shock. At the time of my diagnosis, I was a stay-at-home mom to my then three-year-old son. In a matter of a few hours and three words, “You have cancer,” my life completely turned upside down.
John William
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in December 2019. After three days of chemo, which was discontinued due to bleeding in my lungs, I spent three weeks in the hospital finding out I had a life-threatening, invasive fungal sinusitis that they could not treat with medications or surgery. The doctors sent me home to hospice. They had shot me up with white blood count (WBC) stimulators to give me as much time as they could. I wanted to get through Christmas and my youngest's birthday which was on the 29th. They gave me three days to four weeks at most.
Kendra
I first learned of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) when I participated in a Team in Training (TNT) event to walk a half marathon in San Francisco in October 2004. My friend in Michigan had lost her dad to lymphoma earlier that year, and she was training for the event from her home in Michigan. My training and participation were a way to support her during the loss of her dad. I never thought I could walk that far, and, through the support of the trainers and the motivation to support my friend, I had an awesome time completing that walk.
Jess
Thirteen years ago, my cousin brought me and our family into the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) world. Her friend's dad had lost his battle, and I had just begun mine. In November 2011, I was told I had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). After being immediately hospitalized, poked, and prodded, I started on a clinical trial following a pediatric protocol with adult doses. It worked! By March 16, 2012, I could say I was in remission. Life was great! No more nausea, vomiting, and general crap feeling. No more pulmonary embolisms from one of the treatments.
Megan
I am a 12-year-old girl who likes to play soccer and basketball, and I am in 7th grade. I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS-EB) with monosomy 7. It is a blood cancer similar to leukemia. It is extremely rare for pediatric patients to receive this diagnosis, between 1-4 children out of every million.
Chloe
At the age of 13, I became the youngest stem cell donor at Johns Hopkins Hospital. At 15, I am a Student Visionary of the Year in the 2024 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) campaign. LLS has become an integral part of my life over the past two years. In the spring of 2022, the peaceful life of our family was shattered by my mom’s diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Learning that a stem cell transplant was the only cure, I volunteered to donate my bone marrow to her.
Supportive Care and Disease Complications
Supportive (palliative) care for myeloma helps manage the complications of the disease and the adverse side effects of the drugs used for treatment, including:
Diagnosis
An accurate diagnosis is one of the most important aspects of a person’s care. A precise diagnosis will help the doctor to
- Estimate the rate of disease progression
- Determine the appropriate treatment.
The doctor will take a comprehensive medical history and ask questions regarding either the absence or the presence of B symptoms. Physical examination will include measurement of all accessible lymph node groups, as well as the size of organs, such as the spleen and liver.
Hair Loss
Drugs that damage or destroy cancer cells also affect normal cells. Rapidly dividing cells, such as hair follicle cells, are the most affected. This is why hair loss (alopecia) is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Hair loss can range from thinning to baldness. It may be sudden or slow. You may also lose hair from other areas of your body such as eyelashes and eyebrows.
Hair usually grows back after treatment ends. The thickness, texture or color of hair may be different when it grows back.
Fertility
“Fertility” describes the ability to conceive a biological child. Human reproduction requires three elements: mature sperm, mature eggs and a person with a uterus to carry the pregnancy and give birth. Some cancers and some cancer treatments affect fertility.
Treatment
The main treatment for AML is chemotherapy given in phases.
Not every child with AML receives the same treatment. Your child’s doctor will tailor your child’s treatment based on the AML subtype and other factors, such as age, health and how the cancer responds to treatment.
Your child’s treatment may include:
Follow-Up Care
Your child will undergo frequent follow-up tests during the first year after treatment, but they will be done less often during the second and third years. Each patient has a different follow-up care schedule. How often your child has follow-up visits is based on your child’s type of AML and the treatments given. Your child’s doctor will let you know the schedule that is right for your child.
Children should visit their pediatrician or doctor at least once a year for a complete physical exam and any additional needed tests. The oncologist should also regularly examine the child.
Myeloma Staging
Doctors use imaging and laboratory test results and bone marrow examination findings to determine the extent of disease. This determination is called “staging.” Staging helps your doctor predict the myeloma's progression and develop a treatment plan.
Myeloma has three stages numbered from 1 to 3. Often doctors write the stage in Roman numerals. You may see stage 1 written as Stage I, stage 2 written as Stage II and stage 3 written as Stage III.
Signs and Symptoms
Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is often detected during a routine blood test before an individual has any symptoms.
The signs and symptoms of ET are linked to high platelet counts that cause the development of a thrombus (blood clot). The symptoms include:
Polycythemia Vera
Polycythemia Vera (PV)- Is one of a related group of blood cancers known as “myeloproliferative neoplasms” (MPNs). Too many red blood cells are made in the bone marrow and, in many cases, the numbers of white blood cells and platelets are also elevated.
- With careful medical supervision, PV can usually be managed effectively for many years.
Treatment for Aggressive NHL Subtypes
Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) progresses rapidly. It makes up about 60 percent of all NHL cases in the United States. Aggressive subtypes include:
Joan
In October 2014, I was handing out candy to my neighborhood’s tiny ghouls and goblins, but the scariest thing that Halloween was a phone call from my doctor. My heart pounded as the doctor told me I had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder in which the bone marrow stops functioning properly. My current MDS diagnosis is refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts. My treatment consists of red blood transfusions and Reblozyl® injections.
Steven
In 2017, I was 52 and in pretty good shape. I was at the gym working out, and after a certain lift, I could not get off the bench by myself. After being helped up, I somehow drove myself home. The next morning, I could not get out of bed without my wife lifting me up. We went straight to the doctor and got an MRI. Then we got the news “you have cancer,” and it is eating your vertebrate in your neck. I was sent to a spine and neck specialist and also to a cancer doctor to find out what kind of cancer. Multiple Myeloma (MM) was the diagnosis.
Deborah
I am a 54-year-old mother of two, the owner of a small business, Park Hill Yoga and have been married for 22 years. Being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2015 came as the biggest surprise of my life.
Teri
I was first diagnosed with a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) called polycythemia vera (PV) in 2012. I must admit, I was a bit overwhelmed when they said the “C” (cancer) word and then the “R” (rare) word. I have been living with a handful of rare diseases for some time and now a rare cancer. At that time, there was limited information. I started to research MPNs, attended some conferences, talked with a social worker (Amy is my hero) at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), and connected with the MPN Research Foundation and MPN Advocacy Foundation.
Rachel
Rachel was diagnosed with stage 4B Hodgkin lymphoma in February 2015. She was 26 years old. The moment when her oncologist first spoke the words “you have cancer” were surreal to her. She looked to her parents who exchanged the same look of disbelief and shock, then quickly looked away before fear and sadness settled across their faces. Her mind started to race, “How am I stage 4? I don’t feel that sick. This has to be a mistake, where did this even come from? What happens now?”
Patience
We were clobbered, like every patient, every family, who gets clobbered with a life-threatening diagnosis.
Amanda
As a popular entertainment anchor on the “Good Day LA” morning show in Los Angeles, Amanda Salas has always kept busy. But after she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in June 2019, she has had to refocus all her energy and time on fighting for her life.