Search Results
Sophie
I was diagnosed with stage 3B Hodgkin lymphoma in February 2013. I was having unusual things going on with my body such as itching, weight gain, swollen lymph nodes and heavy breathing. As these symptoms continued, it led me to go see my general practitioner, who misdiagnosed me with scabies (a form of bed bugs). After another week of being miserable, and no change in my symptoms, I decided to go see my dermatologist. When I went in he knew right away something wasn’t right and sent me to get blood work done immediately.
Tim
On March 10, 2015 I reached another milestone and turned 60 years young. I have been blessed with good health and the ability to swim, bike, and run. For over a decade I have been involved with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as a board member and participant in more than a dozen fundraising triathlons/marathons for Team In Training events all over the world. My efforts will continue until cures for blood-related cancers are realized.
Betsy
My dad, my best friend, lost his short 15-day battle with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on January 23, 2008. Dad was 72, but not just any 72-year-old man. He had so much life in him. He was very active in his community and loved his wife (they were married for 44 years), his daughters (my sister and I), and especially his three grandchildren! He lived every moment to the fullest and you knew he enjoyed life just by listening to his infectious laugh! He always had a smile on his face, a story to share, and those always needed words of wisdom to share.
Liliana
Ciara and Liliana were born a few years apart and grew up in a happy home with their mother, Heather and father, Danny. I would describe Ciara, age 7, and Liliana, age 5, as always smiling, always playing, always pretending, always hiding and always giggling. Happiness was contagious when you were around them. Both girls had big brown eyes and long brown hair and their beauty was only matched by their genuine kindness.
Janet
My caregiver journey began in 2005, when my husband found a lump on his neck and was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After being admitted to the hospital for nine rounds of chemotherapy, he went into remission.
Michael
I’m Michael and I’m a two time leukemia survivor. My story is the force that drives me, fuels my energy, and led me to challenge myself to jump rope 1,000,000 skips in 2020. I’m doing it to bring awareness to blood cancer and raise money for LLS. When I heard, “Michael, we have your blood test results. We’ve arranged for your hospital admittance. Please go there now,” I thought ”This can’t be right”. Two days later on Thanksgiving, I had my diagnosis – hairy cell leukemia.
Kassandra
Exactly a month before my 24th birthday, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). As a young adult, hearing the words “you have cancer” come from a physician’s mouth was earth-shattering, to say the least.
Prior to my diagnosis, I had been working in clinical research and was enrolled in a Biomedical Science Master’s program with hopes of continuing to medical school and becoming a physician. However, my career aspirations were placed on hold when I received my diagnosis. Immediately, my dedicated student lifestyle turned into one of a full-time patient.
Cayden
In April 2020, three-year-old Cayden began experiencing leg pain and developed an unusual limp that alarmed his mother, Courtney. Soon, the pain progressed to a stiff neck and loss of appetite. Just two weeks later, after multiple tests and doctor appointments, Courtney and her husband would hear the words that every parent fears, "your child has cancer". Cayden was diagnosed with a high-risk form of blood cancer, Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Nora
Nora was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on August 20, 2018. This is the day our lives were turned upside down and forever changed. Nora was about three weeks away from her second birthday, and we were in utter shock that she would now be fighting an unfathomable battle. After all, this was Nora, our go-hard, go-fast, ray of sunshine. Never did we imagine anything could get her down. But yet, here we were.
Stem Cell Transplantation
The goal of stem cell transplantation is to cure the patient’s cancer by destroying the cancer cells in the bone marrow with high doses of chemotherapy and then replacing them with new, healthy blood-forming stem cells. The healthy blood stem cells will grow and multiply forming new bone marrow and blood cells. There are two main types of stem cell transplantation. They are
Therapeutic targeting of AML stem cells 2018
Our SCOR team seeks to fundamentally reinvent the ways in which physicians diagnose and treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For over 40 years, AML has been treated with a combination of chemotherapy drugs that have major side effects and usually only provide short-term benefit to patients. Indeed, survival rates for most AML patients are dismal, and quality of life for these patients is poor. Consequently, improved strategies for AML are a huge priority for the field.Stem Cell Transplantation
For some patients who are in remission and can tolerate intensive chemotherapy, the doctor may recommend stem cell transplantation during the consolidation phase of chemotherapy.
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.
Other Disease Studies
Another type of study that blood cancer patients and their relatives can participate in is a nontherapeutic study. Nontherapeutic studies aren't considered clinical trials because they don't involve the study of new diagnostics or treatments for diseases. Instead, they're developed to gain a better understanding of disease-incidence patterns or the consequences of specific treatments for a specific disease.
In all cases, you should be asked to sign a consent form that defines the study's purpose and what's expected from the participants.
Sally
In January 2021, my new life journey was about to begin. After doctor visits, bloodwork, testing, and finally complete shock, the diagnosis of cancer was given to me and my family, large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We were in disbelief but ready to fight. As my oncologist stated, “You have an aggressive form of cancer, we will treat you aggressively, and it is potentially curable.” Those last two words were what I needed to hear. Let the fight begin.
Yolanda
A general doctor’s appointment that included standard bloodwork changed my life in my thirties. I was planning a trip when my doctor came back with news of high protein levels and told me I should find a hematologist. It was when he contacted me twice to see if I found one that brought seriousness to the conversation. I chose a random doctor who told me I had multiple myeloma (MM), gave me a list of the dos and don’ts, and the drug I needed to be placed on.
Dallas
Leukemia, as many of you know, is a cancer. It damages your body to the point where you are so comfortable with death and dying that it becomes an afterthought because in your mind you’ve already died. You see so many of your friends pass away at such a young age that it is devastating to the point where you become extremely emotionally advanced or numb. The resemblance that trauma has with a double-edged sword is that you either skyrocket or hit rock bottom.
Paula
My Cancer Story/Journey so far:
I was diagnosed 21 years ago at age 44 with low-grade indolent B cell follicular lymphoma.
I went for a routine colonoscopy, and they found a very small swollen lymph node in my ileum. I had absolutely no symptoms at all. After two colonoscopies in two weeks and four medical consultations, I went through CHOP chemotherapy. Today, they would have just done "wait and watch." At the end of my treatment, even my oncologist said if I had come to him without other recommendations, he would have done nothing. Anyway, that is history.
CALEB
November 2017, my life changed forever when I was diagnosed with a fatal form of blood cancer called acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I had no idea what it meant. All I knew is that I woke up one day, like any other, and this time I woke up with a cancer that was going to kill me in a few months. The hardest part of that day was having to tell my Mother that her son has cancer. But after a lot of tears she said to me “Caleb, we’ve got this.” And I just remember that word “we” so vividly. I remember thinking I’m not in this alone. This is a WE thing!
Gezell
Calvin and I are the best of friends, playmates, and hopeless romantics! We found each other in midlife, and we’ve decided to remain newlyweds because we can! We have the privilege of working together every day, and we really love it! Christ is the foundation for our marriage, so the adversities we have faced together made our relationship strong and stable.
Jason
From an early age, Jason Wexler showed an interest in curing cancer and would even make "potions," according to his mother, Sherri. An extrovert like his father, Kevin, Jason has always liked making a difference for others and has great ideas to share.
When he turned sixteen, the sophomore at The Grauer School in Encinitas knew he wanted to do something to help give back. Jason learned about the "Students of the Year" program for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and knew he had to get involved.
Commitment to DEI and Health Equity
Our commitment to justice, dignity, and belonging takes two forms: a culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; (DEI) and a focus on advancing health equity for all.
Stem Cell Transplantation
Allogeneic Stem Cell TransplantationAn allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a treatment that uses stem cells from a healthy donor to restore a patient’s bone marrow that is damaged or diseased after receiving high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains the only potential cure for MDS.
“People Just Didn’t Get It”: Treating Young Adults with Cancer
Think of spring break: warm sunny skies, a refreshing drink, and hopefully, a feeling of freedom.