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Subaru Loves to Care

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is partnering with Subaru and its retailers to spread hope, love, and warmth to blood cancer patients and their families for the sixth consecutive year. As part of Subaru Loves to Care, we’re providing information on free education and support services from LLS to those fighting blood cancers across the country.

Mike

My personal story with blood cancer started in 2020 but nobody really knew how long it was brewing. A day came when back spasms started raging and my Primary Care Physician (PCP) sent me to physical therapy (PT). It didn’t take more than 1 visit to PT to know that was a bust and finally my PCP sent me to the Hematologist. This is where my blood cancer story becomes reality, in no more than 5 minutes, the Hematologist sent me directly to the Huntsman Cancer Institute.   

Options for Egg Preservation

You may be able to take certain steps and precautions to preserve fertility before, during and after treatment. 

The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance plans sold through www.healthcare.gov and its state-based marketplaces to comply with a number of requirements. Many of these – including the ones described below – are meant to ensure that patients have access to meaningful health insurance coverage. It’s important to be aware that some health plans, available today through non-governmental sites, may not include these patient protections.

Vera

Vera was diagnosed on July 23, 2022. Her symptoms started as typical flu-like, lethargic, loss of appetite, and a fever. After three days of a fever and no one in the house showing symptoms, we took her to the pediatrician and were told she likely had a virus and to return in a week or so if symptoms didn’t subside. Over the next three days, her symptoms worsened (pale skin, a fever of 101 with Tylenol, bruises, and no appetite), and we took her to a medical professional every day, including the ER.

Fundraise for LLS

Fundraise for LLS

Make an impact in the fight to cure cancer.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is a global leader in the fight against cancer. LLS does more to advance science and support patients than any other cancer organization.

Join the fight against cancer by participating in one of our fundraising events: Light The Night, Team In Training, Big Climb, Visionaries of The Year, Student Visionaries of The Year, Ski, Scenic Shore, USA BMX, and more.

Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Because of new and better therapies, cancer survival rates for children have improved dramatically during the last several decades. Scientists continue to search for the causes of childhood lymphoma so they can develop better treatments with less toxic side effects.         

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy, also known as “radiotherapy,” uses high energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. While most blood cancers cannot be cured with radiation therapy alone, it may be combined other treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Radiation therapy may also be used to relieve symptoms of blood cancer and improve quality of life. For example, radiation therapy may be used to shrink an enlarged spleen, liver or lymph nodes. It may also be used to manage bone pain caused by cancer cells growing in the bone marrow. 

Pain Treatment

Pain can be managed effectively in a number of ways, depending on the cause and type of your pain. Treatments may include:

Miriam

My name is Miriam Hernandez, and I have been a long-time volunteer with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). I first started volunteering in 2010 working with the LLS Greater Los Angeles Region and their Patient Services Team to help with outreach into the Latino community in Los Angeles. I worked on an education program about myths and misconceptions about blood cancers done in the form of a “bingo” style game.

Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a potentially serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In this treatment, a patient’s own damaged or diseased blood-forming stem cells are destroyed. Then they are replaced with healthy stem cells from a donor.

Childhood Hodgkin Lymphoma

Because of new and better therapies, cancer survival rates for children have improved dramatically during the last several decades. Scientists continue to search for the causes of childhood lymphoma so they can develop better treatments with less toxic side effects.

Insurance Coverage

Health insurance helps pay for costly medical treatment and can protect you and your family from financial hardship. Some people have private health insurance coverage either through an employer (often called a group plan) or through an individual policy they've purchased. Even if you have coverage, however, certain treatments and charges may not be covered or paid in full. And there's the potentially overwhelming task of filing or appealing health insurance claims, especially when you're undergoing cancer treatment.

Donna

The year 2021 was quite a year for us. It was the year of cancer. No one ever really prepares themselves for the diagnosis of cancer, and when you're told you have it, the emotional roller coaster you are about to embark on cannot ever be fully described in words. The fear, the exhaustion, the financial burden, the feeling of helplessness you experience is completely terrifying. In the year 2021, we started the fight of all fights, the fight to save my husband's life. This is our story of cancer. Our story of love, life, hope, and healing.

Mara

I was in my second to last year of nursing school and just over one year into my marriage when the headaches became too much to bear. I was 21. I was tired all of the time, but I was working in a busy ER and going to class when I wasn't at work. I had lost some weight, but I had been exercising more and getting a lot while working in the ER. I had a cough, but they tell you that you'll be sick a lot when you're in nursing school. Unfortunately, I happened to touch my neck one day while studying with classmates for a big exam. There was a lump there that I had never felt before.

Imaging Tests

Imaging or radiology tests pass different forms of energy (x-rays, sound waves, radioactive particles or magnetic fields) through your body, creating pictures of the chest, abdomen, head, neck and other parts of the body.

Cancer-Related Fatigue

Fatigue is very common in patients with blood cancers. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is characterized by excessive and persistent exhaustion that interferes with daily activity. CRF often begins before cancer is diagnosed, worsens during the course of treatment and may persist for months—even years—after treatment ends. 

Dental and Oral Complications

Side effects of cancer treatment may cause a variety of problems affecting the mouth, teeth and jaw, and they impact your quality of life. The side effects you experience will depend on the type and duration of the treatment you receive. There are things you can do to decrease the risk of dental and oral problems.

A thorough oral evaluation by a dental professional is recommended prior to treatment. During and after treatment, work closely with your entire healthcare team to manage any oral complications. Proper dental hygiene on an ongoing basis is essential.

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.

Matt

I’ve lived a mostly normal 26 years on this earth. A life filled with wonderful academics, Division 1 athletics (pole vault), financial internships, and fantastic sales roles at companies I really enjoyed.

However, my life changed drastically on February 28, 2023.

Early in the morning on February 28, at about 3:00 a.m., I was woken up by a call from an unknown number. I let it ring through . . . maybe it was spam? Then they called again.

LLS Scholarship for Blood Cancer Survivors

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) knows how challenging it can be to plan for your future during or after cancer treatment. Hospital stays and interruptions in school may mean pausing your goals. And the high cost of cancer care can make affording higher education difficult.

Firefighters and Cancer Risk

All firefighters, regardless whether they are career or volunteer, put their own lives at risk to save others in their communities. In addition to the danger of putting out fires, firefighters are at an increased risk for different types of cancer due to the smoke and hazardous chemicals they are exposed to in the line of duty. There have been multiple studies that show this increased risk for cancer.