Search Results
David
My beloved husband, David served the community of Arlington, Texas, through the fire department for 38 years. Throughout his career, he served the city and trained and mentored other up-and-coming firefighters. He retired in 2017, and just nine months later, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a very aggressive blood cancer. His oncologists believe it had simmered in David's marrow for a couple of years before it went acute. It came on with similar symptoms to the common flu.
Babara
On October 3, 2019, I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at the age of 58. I was asymptomatic, so I was in total denial that I had leukemia. I had just attended my 40th high school reunion, and I thought my health was great. After leaving the oncologist's office that day, I went home and discovered that I had blood in my urine, or was it post-menopausal bleeding? I was so confused and frustrated. I immediately made an appointment with my primary care physician to get a referral because I wasn't sure what kind of doctor I needed to see. Turns out, I also had cervical cancer.
Alison
My story began in the summer of 2012. My cancer-fighting hero, who happens to be my father in law, Dave Warner, was diagnosed that July. Not only is he my father in law, but I call him Dad, because that is exactly what he is. In June 2012, Dad started to notice a large lymph node that was swollen in his groin. My immediate reaction was “Go to the doctor and get antibiotics. I'm sure it's just an infected lymph node that amoxicillin can clear up! Right??” Wrong. Never did I expect the next step to be a biopsy to see if it was cance
Grant
I’m a junior-ish chemistry major at Waynesburg University. The reason I say “junior-ish” is because on Mar 12, 2013, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer. Because of this, I had to withdraw for two semesters of school during spring break of my junior year. I went through 23 weeks of chemotherapy, and after a few speed bumps along the way, I was declared in remission on Aug 15, 2013.
Lillian & Jerry
In 2011, our son, Jerry, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at three years old, and he has gone through two bone marrow transplants. Though he has been in remission since 2014, he has developed many other diseases due to the treatment and drugs, such as kidney failure, low vision, a compromised immune system, and heart issues. While Jerry was going through cancer treatment, his little sister, Lillian, was born and grew up to be a vibrant and sweet girl. Yet, in an unimaginable twist of fate, the same devastating cancer diagnosis shattered our hope.
Tiffany
I was first diagnosed in July 2015. The doctors in Joplin kept saying I had strep (which I did, at first) and it never got better. Appointments after appointments and I kept getting this. Despite the several medicines they had me on, I was still not feeling good. Nothing helped. Finally my friend forced me to go back to the hospital, where I had been four days later, and I was FINALLY diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Unfortunately, they did not have any doctors to treat it there.
Donna
The cancer diagnosis was devastating, and the loss was more than anyone should have to bear. We lost our wonderful son, brother, fiance & friend Larry, on August 15th. He was 30 years and 18 days old. He had his whole future ahead of him with his soul mate, Vicki. Together, they were planning a wedding for seven weeks away, making plans for children and looking forward to a long life. He never made it down the aisle, never got to raise those babies and was taken from this earth way too soon. Larry was a bright light in our lives and is missed every second of every day.
Lori
Lori’s journey to becoming a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) volunteer began back in 2002 through her own experience with being diagnosed with Myelofibrosis. Lori had just embarked on a new job as a real estate agent to a new home builder when she began to feel extremely tired and have pain in her hands. She chalked up her sickness to a case of the flu; however, after deciding to go to her doctor, he recommended some blood work which came back showing high white counts. Her doctor referred her to an Oncologist who did a bone marrow biopsy. The results showed she had Myelofibrosis.
Boyd
Greetings from a friend in Canada! I am a two-time blood cancer survivor and marathon runner all because of the love of friends in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)! I had a life saving stem cell transplant from an American Naval Serviceman named Nathan Barnes who was in Japan when he saved my life. (2011-12). My stem cell transplant was May 2012!! A year after my stem cell transplant a friend took me to Alaska and ran a marathon for me with Team in Training! (2013).
Rino
This is the story of Rino La Paglia, a son, brother, boyfriend, uncle, cousin and friend to many who knew him.
Rino was first diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in February 2008. He was 33 years old at the time, and was in remission by 2010. Everything was great, Rino went back to being a electrician, softball player and living life to his fullest. Then, in October 2015 Rino found out, his cancer came back, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (ALL).
Jim
My brother Jim was an amazing man. He was a person for whom family was everything. He ran a plumbing business with his brothers and took pride in its success, but he was so much more than his work. We called him “The Renaissance Plumber” because he was so knowledgeable on so many topics ― history, literature, music, politics, sports. He was also a wonderful cook and a genial host. He lived life to the fullest. His leukemia diagnosis was a terrible blow, coming within months of the tragic death of our younger brother.
Katherine
Hello! My name is Katherine and I was diagnosed in January 2020 with stage IV classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. My diagnosis came after months of fatigue and diffuse body pain. Initially I was evaluated for lupus or RA, but those diagnoses didn't quite fit. After discussing with my PCP again and noting a persistent cough, a CT and PET-CT showed diffuse lymphadenopathy and lesions on my liver and spleen.
Signs and Symptoms
It is common for children with AML to feel a loss of well-being because of the underproduction of normal bone marrow cells.
Symptoms of a low red blood cell count (called “anemia”) include the following:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Shortness of breath during normal physical activities
- Lightheadedness, dizziness or faintness
- Headaches
- Pale complexion
Symptoms of a low white blood cell count (called “neutropenia”) include the following:
Diagnosis
An accurate diagnosis of the type of leukemia is important. The exact diagnosis helps the doctor to estimate how the disease will progress and determine the appropriate treatment
Diagnosing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and your AML subtype usually involves a series of tests. Some of these tests may be repeated during and after therapy to measure the effects of treatment.
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:
Carly
November 25, 2022 ― the worst day of my life, the day I received my official cancer diagnosis, stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).
Leading up to this day, I was always a healthy, active young lady. I was 23 years old and eager to start this next phase in life. Exciting things were happening. We were fairly new homeowners, I had just changed jobs/occupations, and I married the love of my life in October.
Courtney
In March 2022, I began experiencing unusual symptoms of fatigue, nausea, persistent infections, and bloody noses and gums, but I didn’t think much of it. Following a lucky-timed appointment with my primary care doctor and multiple blood tests, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Cancer isn’t something an otherwise “healthy” 27-year-old thinks will come out of a doctor’s mouth.
Lisa
As a new graduate with a master’s degree in psychology, I, among many others, am applying to jobs out in the 'real world.' Recently, one of the job applications asked me to describe myself in three words. My answer consisted of adjectives such as determined, capable and diligent. The one word that best describes me though is one I did not say, and that is survivor.
Kristen
In the fall of 2012, Kristen Comer noticed her energy level wasn't as high as it had been, but she thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until the fall of 2013 when she had unidentifiable bruises on her body and no change in her energy levels, that her general practitioner drew labs to determine a diagnosis. After three panels of blood work, Kristen was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) on December 31, 2013.
Gianna
My story began nearly seven years ago on February 28 when I received the call from my doctor and heard those dreaded words, “You have cancer.” A week prior, I had gotten a lymph node biopsy for a lump that randomly grew on my neck. As a healthy 19-year-old, cancer was the furthest thing from my mind, and receiving a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) was simply unbelievable to me and my family. Hearing this news began a three-week blur of diagnostic testing and meetings with oncologists, fertility specialists, and surgeons before my first chemotherapy treatment on March 23, 2015.
Trisha
In November 2019, Trisha and her husband were thrilled to have given birth to her second daughter. At this time, she went to visit her OBGYN for her 6-Week Postpartum Exam, and to her surprise, her doctor noticed she had an enlarged spleen and liver. She was immediately instructed to go to the emergency room, where she was admitted for one week. After a bone marrow biopsy, Trisha was diagnosed with plasma cell leukemia (PCL). Three days later, I went to another follow-up with my oncologist.
Are Clinical Trials Safe?
U.S. clinical trials are designed to give patients the safest, potentially most effective clinical therapies. Clinical trials are conducted once researchers have shown in the laboratory and in animal research that a particular study treatment has a good chance of offering better outcomes for people with a specific disease.
Patients enrolled in cancer clinical trials are never treated as “guinea pigs.” In fact, patients are given either
Bone Marrow Tests
Your doctor uses a bone marrow test to examine the fluid and tissue in your marrow. The tests help determine whether cancer or another disease is affecting blood cells or marrow, as well as the extent of the disease. Some changes to blood cells can be detected in marrow samples before they can be seen in blood samples.