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Sexual Health and Intimacy
These webpages cover a range of sensitive topics related to intercourse, sexual health, intimacy and cancer. Although not always discussed, sexual health and intimacy are an important part of your wellbeing, even after a cancer diagnosis. Please note: If you have experienced any type of sexual trauma, we recommend that you seek support and help from a trusted healthcare professional before reading further.
Tricia
My name is Tricia, and I am a two-time cancer survivor. In 2017, at the age of 27, I got a positive pregnancy test. We were elated! We already had a three-year-old daughter and couldn't wait to expand our family. I made an appointment with my OB-GYN to confirm the pregnancy and get a due date when she found a lump on my thyroid. I was constantly assured it would be nothing. Unfortunately, after a biopsy, it was confirmed to be thyroid cancer. I underwent surgery to remove half of my thyroid that had the tumor. It was very scary going under the knife since I was pregnant at the time.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a drug therapy that stimulates the immune system. Interferon, a type of immunotherapy, is a substance made naturally by the immune system, but it can also be made in the laboratory. Interferon reduces the growth and division of cancer cells.
Barbara
At age 60, I stopped working as a full-time physical therapist and started working PRN at two different facilities. My reasoning was I could help my elderly but healthy parents when needed and help out with my grandkids. Everything was going great until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I was laid off from both jobs. My father was very afraid of COVID-19 and wouldn’t let my mom leave the house, so I started doing all of their shopping. I had been fatigued for months but attributed this to work or being out of shape.
Miah
I am 28 years old and was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) when I was 27. I am a mother of two (a 5-year-old boy and a 7-year-old daughter). I am a licensed esthetician in Chicago and have run my own beauty business for six years.
Allison
In May of 2020, shortly after the first lockdown for COVID-19, I noticed a small lump on the side of my neck. Living in Southern Indiana during the spring, I usually get allergies from the fields, so I thought I just had a swollen lymph node from that. Considering I was only 15 at the time, the last thing that ever crossed my mind was the possibility of cancer. But after a month, the lymph node had yet to go down and had done the opposite. It slowly progressed and eventually moved to the other side of my neck.
Kara
This story is about my girlfriend of six years, Kara. I was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (PH+ ALL) in May 2021 and went into the ER on Kara's actual birthday, May 22.
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.
Treatment Outcomes
Treatment results and outcomes vary among patients. Newer treatment therapies, better supportive care and studies of new drugs in clinical trials are all contributing to improved outcomes and quality of life for people diagnosed with blood cancers.
Berenise
On October 22, 2013, as a senior in college, I was spontaneously diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). I was immediately admitted into the hospital and began chemotherapy. The doctors basically said, "good luck”, as I received the routine treatment that has a survival rate of 25%. My life was flipped upside down in a matter of days. I went from planning what I was going to do after college, to deciding if I would want people at my funeral to wear black or be colorful. I didn't know whether to cry, scream, or be angry.
Joshua
In May of 2016 my husband Josh was experiencing abdominal pains. He was so sick with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. He went to see his doctor and was told it was probably a stomach bug but then it continued to get worse. He went back a couple of days later and they did an MRI. On June 2, 2016 we got the results from the MRI and he had a bowel blockage then there showed signs of cancer. After a couple of days of him being in the hospital treating the bowel blockage we finally were told a diagnosis. The cancer Josh had was rare, extramedullary acute myeloid sarcoma.
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.
Judith
In 2016, my Mom/daughter's grandma, Baba (Judith W), was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After her first round of chemo, she was discharged from a one-month hospital stay on my daughter's third birthday. Best birthday present ever. She continued fighting the disease with more chemo and ultimately received a stem cell transplant from an amazing donor. Amid the uncertainties of her recovery, we hosted our first lemonade stand fundraiser on Mother's Day weekend the following year in hopes of helping.
CML in Children and Young Adults
Most cases of CML occur in adults. From 2012 to 2016, approximately 2 percent of all cases of CML occurred in children, adolescents and young adults less than age 20.
Ernest
During my summer internship at General Motors in Flint, Michigan, I suddenly started feeling extremely restless. Soon after a lump the side of a golf ball appeared on my neck and I got an extreme sore throat. A doctor told me I just had a sinus infection and gave me Theraflu.
Lauren
It was last July, and I was just a regular Jersey girl. I was a 41-year-old wife, mother of two, physical therapist assistant just living a regular, normal life, or so I thought. I was just returning from a vacation in Puerto Rico, celebrating my brother's 50th birthday, when I fainted on the plane and had to have an emergency visit upon landing.
Daniel
My son was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in 1992 at 7 years old. Needless to say, it was a devastating blow to our family, and we were so scared! I had just gone through cancer illnesses with two other members of my family and knew how this diagnosis went. But my son, I never thought in a million years!
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.
Ava
My name is Lori Timko and my first daughter Ava is an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survivor! It started in 2009 when she had become sick and the doctors discovered her blood counts were suppressed.
Oya
My three kids are my precious jewels, the reason I get up every morning. As a single parent, providing a good life for them is what fuels my drive to succeed. Little did I know that need to care for them would end up saving my life.
Jude
From 2013 to 2014, after he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), Jude endured four cycles of intense chemotherapy, lengthy hospitalizations, difficult side effects, and months of home isolation. Jude's younger brother, Finn, was born in May 2014 in the middle of Jude's chemotherapy cycle. In August 2014, his family finally celebrated as Jude finished the more difficult part of treatment.
Lawrence Paul "LP"
In July of 2017, our world was turned upside down. Our son, Larry Paul (LP), was experiencing back pain and was extremely tired. After multiple trips to doctors and ER visits over seven days, he was taken down to UMMC in Baltimore and diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). After a 28-day battle of fighting ferociously, he passed away. When he was sent home from the hospital after 24 days, the doctors were convinced that he was going to beat this. The toxic chemo created a massive pulmonary embolism that went undetected.
Kori
This may be the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever shared. I tend to not like to share too much of my personal life on social media. I am a businesswoman, so a few pictures of my kids, family, or vacations are usually the extent of what I put out there. But if what I’m about to say here about my story helps even one person listen to their gut or body, then I am proud to have helped. Please take a few minutes to read this.
Diagnosis
While certain signs and symptoms may indicate that a person has ET, a series of tests are needed to confirm the diagnosis. It is important to have an accurate diagnosis, as it helps the doctor to:
- Estimate how the disease will progress
- Determine the appropriate treatment
Some of these tests may be repeated both during and after treatment to evaluate its effectiveness.