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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.

Stem Cell Transplantation

An 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. 

Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy is the removal of blood from a vein. It is the usual starting point of treatment for most patients. A volume of blood is drawn at regular intervals and the hematocrit concentration is brought down to normal values within a period of weeks to months. The procedure is identical to that used for donating blood to a blood bank. The immediate effect of phlebotomy is to reduce the hematocrit concentration, which usually results in the improvement of certain symptoms such as headaches, ringing in the ears and dizziness. Eventually, phlebotomy results in iron deficiency.

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.

“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.  

Balancing fiscal responsibility with saving and improving lives

Table of contents:

Treatment Outcomes

All patients are advised to discuss survival information with their hematologist-oncologists. Keep in mind that outcome data can only show how other people with CMML responded to treatment, and cannot predict how any one person will respond.

Unfortunately, lasting remissions are not common. The expected survival time ranges from a few months to a few years after the initiation of treatment, depending on a variety of risk factors including the percentage of blasts in the blood and marrow, the white blood cell count, and the presence of certain gene mutations.

FDA Approves New Bispecific Antibody for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Subtype

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

• Is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood
• CML is usually diagnosed in its chronic phase when treatment is very effective for most patients
• CML has three phases

Click here to access CML statistics. 

Stephenie

Seth

It was in my sophomore year at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs right around March 2021 when I first discovered the lump in my neck. I was simply doing homework at my desk, and my hand unconsciously brushed against my neck. I stopped and started to feel the unusual lump in my neck.

Soon after that, the tests started.

Hollis

I was diagnosed with lymphoma in January and it has been an uncertain journey since then. I’m still unsure of what lymphoma means to me. Because I haven’t been able to answer this question, I have been reticent to share my diagnosis with others. Am I a cancer “victim?” Does cancer define me? Should I be advocating for Lymphoma care and awareness this September? I’m far from the first person to grapple with a cancer diagnosis, but this month I am compelled to finally share my Lymphoma diagnosis.

Hannah

My name is Hannah Gallant. I am an 11 years old from Quispamsis, New Brunswick Canada. In August 2016, after several trips to the doctor and the hospital because I wasn’t feeling well, my parents brought me to the hospital for blood work. I wasn't worried, because I thought it was just growing pains. We got the results that same day, my parents found out it was a form of leukemia called acute lymphoblastic leukemia (AML). They didn’t tell me until the final diagnosis took place at the IWK. I was very worried, and even though I didn't know what leukemia was.

Reginé

I thought it was 'just another torn meniscus' back in the fall of 2019. The symptoms and signs all seemed too familiar and I just knew I'd have to get my meniscus repaired again, but this time in my left knee. After following through similar protocol in preparation to meet with the orthopedic doctor, upon my doctor's visit I was told my knee could not be further evaluated until deeper investigation by another physician: a musculoskeletal oncologist. 

Grace

We were busy living our daily lives, and Grace had just celebrated her 9th birthday. She was involved in dance and was a normal kid, but cancer came on so quickly and knocked us down.

Dan

When cancer hangs your cleats up for good

At my first appointment, the physical therapist asked me why. Why did I want to run a marathon? And I didn't have an answer, partly because when you meet someone, you don't want to blurt out all sorts of emotional baggage, and that's the sort of question that can trigger a lot of baggage.

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:

Hodgkin Lymphoma

• Is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system
• Is one of the most curable forms of cancer
• Is named for Dr. Thomas Hodgkin who, in 1832, described several cases of people with symptoms of a cancer involving the lymph nodes. The disease was called "Hodgkin's disease" until it was officially renamed "Hodgkin lymphoma" in the late 20th century.

Click here to access Hodgkin lymphoma statistics.

Louise

During the last week of July 2019, Louise, then-two-and-a-half-year-old, developed unusual red dots on her chest and some gnarly, yet explainable, bruises all over her body. We chalked the rash up to wearing an unwashed shirt and the bruises to being an extremely active two-year-old. Then, after her gums bled one afternoon, we hopped on Google and became increasingly concerned with the search results. However, Louise wasn’t acting “sick,” so her parents ignored Dr. Google’s diagnosis.

Madeline

Being in a very close-knit family, we were devastated upon learning of our sister Madeline’s diagnosis of AML.  There were 4 of us girls and all 3 of us wanted to do anything to help our sister survive.  Our biggest challenge was staying positive and offering her and her family support. The 3 of us were tested and I was her perfect match.  I was overjoyed to be able to do this for her. Although my other sisters felt let down that they weren’t,  we were all constant support through her journey.