Search Results
Janiyah
Our beautiful Janiyah was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at 14 months old. Some will say by chance or luck, others say by the grace of God. Thirteen months earlier, Janiyah was diagnosed with hemoglobin C disease; simply defined as chronic anemia.
Gregg
The date was May 15, 2015, in the local office of the hematologist/oncologist and I was given this message after the results of my bone marrow biopsy taken a week earlier.
Jamie
After he was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2013, Jamie was told by doctors that he’d never walk again, let alone ride a bike. Despite those predictions, he finished a 540-mile ride in June 2019 to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).
Taylor
In February of 2019, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). What started with a simple cough quickly turned into the most challenging year of my life. When you hear the words “you have cancer,” the world stops spinning. There is no way to prepare for the cold, dark fear that takes over when there are so many unknowns. At this point, I didn't even know what lymphoma was. I was so lucky to have UCLA fighting with me and the incredible support of my entire family by my side. I owe it to all of them for pulling me through.
Alison & Keith
This is a love story about two Team In Training honorees, Alison and Keith. Keith has been a recreational runner for many years and first learned of Team In Training (TNT) as a fundraising sponsor for a friend. Upon his diagnosis of follicular lymphoma in 2008, Keith says he knew right away that direct involvement with TNT was an obvious step; he became an honoree for the South Bay and Peninsula run teams during his initial chemotherapy treatments, and ran with the teams every few weeks in that first “honoree season.”
Christopher
In January 2013, I was diagnosed with PH+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I had just turned 19 and finished my first semester at the University of Florida. I missed the rest of my freshman year but after eight months in and out of the hospital, I achieved remission and my doctors allowed me to go back to school for the fall.
Anthony
December of 2017 was a difficult time for me. It is the month that is usually filled with happiness, excitement and Christmas cheer. For me, it was the month I found out that I had Hodgkin lymphoma. It’s crazy when you think about it – we see all of these facts and figures about people who are diagnosed with cancer and we never, really, truly believe it could happen to us.
Chris
In 2008, my primary doctor noticed that my white blood cells were high (12,000 range) and referred me to a hematologist. The hematologist decided to "wait and see" for a while. From 2008 to 2018, we watched as my white cells slowly grew from 12,000 to 207,000. The oncologist then prescribed and 8-hour infusion of Rituxan. As I sat in the recliner chair with needle in arm, I got several violent reactions from the Rituxan and they pulled out the needle. The doctor told me that I needed a drug called Imbruvica (Ibutrinib). I was
Shelley
I went from being in the best shape of my life to battling cancer in only a few short months.
Three years ago, I made the choice to change my lifestyle, and I lost 100 lbs., which I can honestly say has saved my life. Prior to my cancer diagnosis, I was sharing my weight loss journey online to help others make positive choices. Little did I know that I was about to fight the biggest battle of my life!
Harper
In the late summer of 2021, 8-year-old Harper returned to in-person school for the first time since March 2020 for the start of third grade. Shortly after the beginning of the school year, Harper began to complain of headaches and bone pain and would fall deeply asleep each afternoon after school. Her pediatrician chalked it up to the rigors of in-person learning, wearing a mask all day, and indicated that a lot of children were experiencing similar symptoms.
Eliot
It was my senior year of high school, and I was thriving: MVP of the soccer team that went to the state finals; strong academics with an offer to study Natural Sciences at Durham University, one of England’s finest; fantastic friends who were to become even more important to me. My biggest challenge was getting a date for the prom! Things that were within my control were going really well. However, things outside of my control then flexed their powerful muscles, and that high school life ended and a new one began.
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.
Samantha
Hi, I’m Samantha, and I am a pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivor (B-ALL)! I was diagnosed in October 2018, the beginning of my junior year in high school. Before being diagnosed, I missed about a month of school due to being sick. I was misdiagnosed three times before they found out I had B-ALL. When I was diagnosed, the doctors told my parents and me that if it had been undiagnosed for a day or two more, I wouldn’t have woken up, and my parents would’ve found me. I’m so lucky it was found before it was too late.
Elizabeth
On November 8, 2021, I was diagnosed with stage III multiple myeloma (MM), an incurable cancer. Prior to being diagnosed, I thought I was a healthy young woman and was just living life with my children. I would have different pains throughout my body, but I didn't think much about it and would ignore them for the most part. The pains throughout my body were getting more and more frequent, so I went to the ER in October 2021 because I was in pain and could not eat, they said I was possibly having acid reflux and gave me a prescription for nausea.
Rebecca
My mother died of multiple myeloma (MM) in 2001, 10 months after her diagnosis. She lived in a small town where the only treatment they offered her was chemo infusions. She was on dialysis the whole time. She was brave but scared, nonetheless. She didn't have much time to process the whole experience. I was 51 at the time and still believed I was bullet-proof! Silly girl!
Amy
I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) when I was 43 years old and at the height of my career as an RN. I took care of critically ill patients but did not realize when I was critically ill myself. My diagnosis came after days of having hip pain which became progressively worse until I was unable to walk without assistance. My husband and son took me to the emergency room for testing. The doctor sat on my bed to discuss the results, and at that point, I knew things must be bad, but I did not expect her to say I may have cancer.
Treatment
Every patient’s situation should be evaluated individually by a hematologist-oncologist who specializes in treating MDS and who will discuss the disease subtype, prognostic factors and treatment options with the patient. It is also important to seek treatment at a center that has experience in treating MDS.
Types of MDS TreatmentDoctors use several types of approaches and treatment combinations for MDS:
Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
In autologous stem cell transplantation, the procedure uses the patient’s own stem cells for the transplant. The stem cells are collected from the patient in advance and are frozen. After the patient undergoes high doses of chemotherapy, either with or without radiation therapy, the stem cells are then returned to the body. This type of transplant is often used to treat blood cancers such as Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma.
Managing Side Effects
Work closely with your doctor and cancer care team to prepare yourself with information about what to expect and how to cope with side effects. For some patients, side effects may last well after treatment is completed or may be permanent. For most patients, side effects are temporary and go away when the body adjusts to therapy or once treatment ends. On the other hand, some patients suffer symptoms that may require hospitalization until they subside.
Reactions to treatment vary from patient to patient. Reactions also vary depending on:
How to Find a Treatment Center
A number of resources are available to help you find a treatment center. Your primary care doctor may be able to provide a referral or you can use doctor and insurance referral services.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports a national network of cancer centers. Each center must meet specific scientific, organizational and administrative criteria. See a list of NCI-approved cancer centers.
The following organizations can also help:
Talking With Members of Your Oncology Team
Ask your oncology team about the fertility effects of your treatment. By having this information before treatment begins, you can consider the options most likely to preserve your fertility. You can also ask for a referral to a fertility specialist to help you understand and explore your options. Fertility specialists include:
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
PregnancyMost people of childbearing age who have been treated for cancer and are able to conceive can go on to have low-risk pregnancies and healthy babies. Patients should be able to become pregnant if treatment did not affect their ovaries or uterus, and there are no other medical issues that may impact fertility. Before you try to become pregnant, talk with your treatment team about your medical readiness for pregnancy. You may also want to have a fertility assessment by consulting with a doctor called a “reproductive endocrinologist.”
Bereavement
Losing a child is possibly the most difficult thing a parent can experience. Grief can affect each person emotionally, physically, cognitively and behaviorally. Many people express grief in an outward way; for example, crying, a lack of energy or trouble sleeping. Others, on the surface, may not seem to be grieving. Instead, these people process grief internally. Their grief may go unrecognized and unacknowledged. Be aware that grief is personal and specific to the person. Try not to make judgments about how you, your co-parent or others process the loss of your child.