Search Results

Michael

On January 3, 2020, I was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma(BL)with brain metastasis, and kidney and liver failure. During my four rounds of chemo, I had gone septic three different times, acquired nerve damage, and lost the ability to walk. After going into remission on August 6, 2020, I was tasked with relearning to walk. From April 2020 to January 2021. I was wheelchair-bound. Now as of Christmas 2021, I am walking on my own and in complete remission. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)gave my family so much help during my journey.

Eliza Cate

Our daughter Eliza Cate (nickname is Pickle) was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at the young age of three. She's currently in remission and will celebrate five years of being cancer-free in March 2025. She has been an inspiration to so many, and now we have shifted to supporting other families here in Charleston, South Carolina, through our very own local non-profit called Pickle's People. Our three pillars are Awareness, Advocacy, and Assistance.

Lucille

I was diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in October 2019, at the age of 57. After experiencing months of symptoms such as severe fatigue, bruising easily, and shortness of breath.

Jackson

Jackson was diagnosed on December 31, 2016 age eight with Philadelphia positive acute leukemia. Doctor's said he wouldn't live long and transferred him to Children's Health Care of Atlanta where he spent the next year hooked to machines, receiving platelets and a horrific chemotherapy regiment.

He was given the green light to come home with high restrictions and no contact instructions. He lost many friends as he lost his hair. It hasn't been easy by any means for him, his sister or myself.

Dawnya

This is me and my bald head on vacation in California. I was diagnosed with leukemia when I was 2 1/2.

My parents made sure that my life was as normal as possible. One of my favorite comments that my parents said was Dawnya Kaye always mind your manners. They did not tell until later the story behind that saying. I was raised to be polite and say please and thank you.

My parents informed the adult me why growing up with good manners was so important to them. What happens if I survive my cancer, they did not want to have a little monster on their hands.

Amanda

I have been through quite a bit dealing with multiple health problems before hand going through traumatic changes not understanding why life ended up this way but sometimes God gives his hardest moments to a strongest people.

Being diagnosed with leukemia was one of the most hardest moments ever. It has been the most horrible thing ever dealing with uncertain symptoms almost dying multiple times continuously holding on for life hoping that I don’t die.

Tony

I was diagnosed in 2016 with multiple myeloma (MM) and was able to get a bone marrow transplant in 2017. After I recovered, I was cancer-free for five years. Then two years ago, my cancer came back, and I am now going through with two types of therapies to keep things at bay and doing well. Besides the ups and downs of working full-time and cancer coming back, my oncologist who saw me through retired last December, and I got a new one. However I was not happy and started seeing one of his associates and really liked her, but she is now leaving the practice in two weeks.

Tim

It was December 2006. I was 28 years old, and I discovered some purple bruises on my leg. I had never seen anything like these on my body before, so I went to my primary care physician. He took some bloodwork, then called me to say I needed to go to the hospital at once. My parents’ friend drove me and my parents to the hospital, and I ended up staying at the hospital for four days.

Complications of CLL or CLL Treatment

People with CLL are more likely to get infections.  

Karley

Back in 2017, my sister Karley was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). It was a huge shock to her and our family as up until that point she was a healthy 25-year-old woman. She went through a tough battle, including losing her spleen, countless spinal taps, infections, etc. But in November 2017, she received a stem cell transplant (from me! I was a 100% match), and she entered remission. Well, fast forward to this year, Karley just got married to her partner, Allie, and is a labor and delivery nurse at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.

Johanna

On April 5, 2019, my life changed forever. What started as a simple ER visit for some light chest pain turned into a two-and-a-half-year battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). During treatment, I had many ups and downs but pushed myself through online courses at my university. One of the many things that brought me joy during this time was how much support I had from friends, family, and even complete strangers. My university held a Light The Night (LTN) event, and it was amazing seeing all the support from my community.

Arlena

I’m 31 years old. At the age of 30 at the end of summer 2022, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The experience I had and am still going through is a battle every day of my life. I was told I had to have chemotherapy, and I experienced hair loss, my skin changing color, and now have very bad stomach problems. I made it through 10 different chemotherapy sessions, and I got a phone call in December 2022 that I had a bone marrow donor. So, in January 2023, I started chemotherapy again, and on January 19, I got my bone marrow transplant. It was the second birthday for me.

Esther

In November 2011, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and received a stem cell transplant in April 2012. After recovery, I continued medical care with my local oncologist.

In the summer of 2014, my lab results caused concern. After two bone marrow biopsies, I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in January 2015. My doctor was shocked. The plan of treatment was chemotherapy and eventually a bone marrow transplant. Due to complications from chemotherapy treatment, the bone marrow transplant was off the table.

Lisa

I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma in December 1995 after finding a lump in my neck. My son had just turned 7 years old and I was so afraid I would not be around to see him grow up.

Today, my son is almost 27.  I have gone though many battles with this illness throughout my 20-year fight. I've taken pills, I've had chemotherapy and last year I finished radiation. I currently have two tumors but I am on a "watch and wait" protocol. No symptoms and no treatments.

Lena

In 2018, I had what I thought was a urinary tract infection (UTI). It ended up being a tumor in my bladder the size of a lime. It turned out to be diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL). I ended up doing six rounds of R-CHOP chemo with Neulasta® and a month of radiation afterward. I am grateful to be alive but do have lingering side effects with chemo brain/memory loss, neuropathy in my hands and right arm, loss of taste for certain foods/drinks, and weight gain from prednisone.

Brandon

I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in 2019 a week before my birthday. My mom took me to the doctor for a routine checkup because I was feeling tired, sleepy, and did not want to eat. That day I was rushed to the ER where I was admitted to Children's Hospital New Orleans. After running bloodwork, my parents were told I had cancer. Our lives changed completely after that day. I spent months in the hospital, my mom stopped working to take care of me, and my dad was the heart and soul of the family, staying strong so we all could stay positive.

Levi

After months of being sick and being in and out of the hospital, doctors placed two adult-size chest tubes in Levi’s chest to clear his lungs of fluid. While placing the tubes, his surgeon found an orange-sized tumor in his lung. Hours later, he was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) at just four years old. He has endured countless treatments, side effects, and changes in the last two years. He has persevered and smiled all while fighting the "monster that tried to kill him." He has made an impact on others around him and has openly shared about his cancer battle.

John

I have been battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML) since October 24, 2023. I am an outpatient at Roswell Park currently. I spent over three to four months inpatient, and I had a bone marrow transplant on February 9, 2024.

Treatment Outcomes

Among patients with MF, the prognosis (meaning the likely outcome of the disease) varies widely. Each patient’s risk factors are evaluated individually to determine their prognosis.

The approximate median survival for MF patients is as follows, based on their risk category:

Choosing a Blood Cancer Specialist or a Treatment Center

Taking an active role in making decisions regarding your treatment can have a positive effect on your health and quality of life. One of your first choices as an active participant in your care is to either select a specialist to manage your treatment or to choose a treatment center.

You may be seeking a blood cancer specialist or a treatment center because you:

Treatment Outcomes

Since the introduction of the drug Gleevec® and similar tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the number of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who enter remission and stay in remission for years has increased dramatically over the past decade.

For survival statistics, click here.

Fertility and Pregnancy

Patients of childbearing age, as well as the parents of children with cancer, should ask their healthcare team to explain how treatment may affect fertility (the ability to have children). Patients with CML who will be taking TKIs should discuss fertility preservation with their doctors before starting TKI therapy.

Growing numbers of CML patients of childbearing age are living in stable remissions and are considering having children while being treated for CML. There is no risk that parents will pass the Ph chromosome onto their children.

Munira

I will never underestimate my parents' sacrifices to provide my siblings and me with the millions of opportunities we have due to their hard work. My parents were born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Both were born to families who instilled the traditional family value of grit in every walk of life. My parents both obtained a high school diploma with the intent of seeking higher education, but the obstacles of living in a developing country robbed them of the chance.

Robert

My story starts in March 1983. I was lucky to have been chosen to attend Squadron Officer School in residence at Maxwell, AFB, Alabama. I was, I thought, a healthy 28-year-old and newly married with a promotion to captain the following month. Then, a worrying symptom suddenly occurred. Everything was going dark briefly under physical exertion. I shrugged it off as heat exhaustion until just climbing one flight of stairs resulted in a blackout without unconsciousness. It was then I decided to drive home for the weekend to advise my wife and decide my course of action.

Tatijane

On February 19, 2021, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), both B and T cells, and given six to eight weeks to live. I was 24 years old. I was diagnosed alone in the ER because of COVID-19 protocols and unable to see my family and friends in person for a week or two because of testing, port placements, and biopsies. It was like an earthquake that shook up my life as well as all my loved ones’ lives, and all I wanted was to hug my mom.