Search Results
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.
Lindsey
On Monday, February 8, I found out that I was pregnant. It was very early, but there it was two lines. On Wednesday, February 10, I told my parents and mother-in-law, and we were all so excited, so excited that on Saturday, just for fun, we went to BuyBuy Baby. On Sunday, February 14, I went to a nice Valentine’s dinner with Ethan, and when we got home, I noticed a tiny drop of blood on my underwear. By Tuesday, I called the doctor because I was still spotting, but everything else was fine, and it wasn’t a lot.
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!
Shaun
On November 1, 2020, after three scary trips to the emergency room for excruciating back pain within two weeks, I was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, (Ph+ ALL). Sitting in the emergency room with my fiancée, I was at a loss of words. We never anticipated my pain to turn into our worst nightmare. We never thought cancer would enter our lives at 26, but we were faced with the reality that our lives had grown drastically different.
Bob
It has been five years since Bob had his stem cell transplant to get him remission from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but his journey started over seven years ago when he was first diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
Sonia
In an instant, my life changed. “You have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). There is no cure but patients can live for several years.” These were the words I received a few years ago at the age of 39 with three small children. I have been on an educational journey of self-discovery, cancer research, and patient advocacy ever since.
Cathy
I had blood cancer and for that, I’m lucky. I’m not being facetious, I really believe I’m lucky. The doctors told me that Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is highly treatable and this is the cancer to have if you’re going to get cancer. But that’s not the only reason why I’m lucky. The very first philanthropic effort that I did with my BFF was when we were 17 years old and allowed to donate blood. This is one of the first times I realized I was lucky. By giving blood I could give the gift of life. It’s something I also had in common with my husband who is an avid blood donor.
Jim
In September of 2017, my wife and I were in New Jersey with family celebrating Labor Day weekend when I passed out, fell and hit my head on a granite counter top. I received a nice shiner, and the next day we decided that it would be a good idea to go to the ER to have it looked at just in case. Weeks leading up to the fall, I was very tired and bruising pretty easy, but thought was worn down because I was helping my mom every chance I could after losing my dad that July.
Lorna
I was diagnosed with Stage 4 NH large B-Cell primary hepatic lymphoma in April, 2013. I was told by my doctor that this was a very rare form of lymphoma with less than 200 cases in the US. I had surgery to remove 90% of the right lobe of my liver as the tumor was very large at 16cm (initially I was diagnosed with liver cancer until they removed the tumor and the pathology revealed that it was NH lymphoma).
Robert
Robert was like any other 16-month-old toddler back in October 2010. It was a Tuesday afternoon. He was our third child and had a spiking fever for about 36 hours that we could not get under control. We called the pediatrician's office to get him in ASAP.
The next morning he spiked another fever at 7 a.m., so I gave him a dose of Motrin to bring it down. We were in the doctor's office by 9:15 a.m. His fever was only 100.0 so the doctor checked him over and did a strep test, and said he would call us the next morning with the results.
Charity
In March of 2021, I was diagnosed officially with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after a blood test and bone marrow biopsy. I had just turned 30 and had my first child in August 2020. My OB/GYN noticed that my platelet and white blood cell counts were way out of the normal range and referred me to a hematologist. I did not go, thinking it is just the stress of my body carrying a baby. After I had my son, I began feeling really bad. I had no energy and had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong.
Kennetha
I found out about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) through a peer at Brockport College where I attend the Healthcare Administration BSN program. My peer had many great things to say about LLS and was excited to be a volunteer intern. I'm grateful that I was given the opportunity to reach out to those who experience the life-changing event of having blood cancer and can provide them with the resources and support that LLS offers. I love volunteering for LLS because it helps me fulfill my passion for caring for others and making a difference in people's lives.
Carolyn
In November 2014, my daughter Valerie was born. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection by my doctor and received 3 rounds of antibiotics because it just wasn’t going away. Life was hectic as I learned to care for my newborn and I was getting into a new routine. Some of my lymph nodes became swollen. I was having night sweats. I developed a rash and high fevers.
Robert
I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in February 2021 after a bone marrow biopsy. Since that time, over the past 2½ years, I have had very serious side effects from my chemotherapy medication treatments. I was first prescribed Gleevec® 400 mg in March 2021, my first tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). However, this medication put me in the hospital at the end of March 2021. I had an angiogram to check my heart as I had five stents in my heart in September 2018. I had very severe fatigue and very serious malaise.
Jill
My world changed forever in April 2021. Life was going so well . . . I was 35 years old, my kids Henry (9), Olivia (7), and Ruby (5) were getting excited about summer break (and all the trips we had planned), my insurance business was in full swing, and all my plants and flowers were in bloom. I was doing what I loved most, working in the yard, when I noticed my right pinky finger was going numb, and I began having trouble walking. We immediately went to the ER. The doctors initially thought it was a stroke, but luckily a fantastic neurosurgeon was on call and saw the MRI.
Randall
I am a 36-year survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In 1987, I went through six months of chemo, had one month off, then went through 25 straight days of radiation. It is an amazing story, one which I may write about when I retire in about 12-16 months.
My son wasn't even two yet when I started treatments. Today he is 38 and has the two cutest, little girls a “Poppop” could ask for. After the chemo, they told me there was a 70% chance I'd be sterile from the treatment. We found out my wife was pregnant in December 1989. My daughter was born in August 1990.
Katie
I want to share my blood cancer journey. It all started back in October 2019 when I was at Gonzaga University. I started to experience the symptoms that I’m sure we’re all far too familiar with ― stomach pain, digestive problems, nausea, chest pain, and fatigue, all of which I was dealing with in addition to 20+ hours a week of tennis practice and a 15-credit class load.
Russell
In the tapestry of life, there are moments that test the strength of the human spirit, moments that challenge our resolve and redefine our sense of purpose. For Russell, a Filipino-American music artist and entrepreneur, such a moment arrived six months after marrying the love of his life ― a moment that would alter the course of his life forever.
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.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, also known as “radiotherapy,” uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells in a small, targeted area of the body. Since radiation can also harm normal cells, whenever possible, radiation therapy is directed only at the affected lymph node areas in order to reduce the long-term side effects.
Signs and Symptoms
MF usually develops slowly. MF often does not cause early symptoms and may be found during a routine blood test. When fibrosis develops in the bone marrow, the bone marrow is unable to produce enough normal blood cells. The lack of blood cells causes many of the signs and symptoms of MF. These include:
Signs and Symptoms
Polycythemia vera (PV) develops slowly, and it may not cause symptoms for many years. The condition is often diagnosed during a routine blood test before severe symptoms occur.
Symptoms may include:
MDS Subtypes
There are several kinds (subtypes) of MDS. The subtype is determined from the results of the blood and bone marrow tests.
WHO ClassificationThe current WHO classification guidelines identify six subtypes.The current WHO classification guidelines, which were updated in 2022, groups MDS based on genetic abnormalities and morphologically defined features (the appearance and number of the cells under a microscope).
The subtypes are determined by the following: