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.
I was losing the battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphoma in August of 2013 when I ran across this quote from Albert Einstein, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I decided to adopt this as my standard to live by.
Wendell Ison was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) on June 6, 2006. It was through his own battle that he decided to create the team known as "Wendell's Warriors" as a way to give back and make a difference in people's lives by raising money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (LLS).
I noticed some lymph nodes popped up on my neck so I went to the Dr. I didn't feel bad at all. My Dr ordered blood work and my white blood count was high. I was sent to The Cancer Center of Acadiana and more blood work, scans, ultrasound and bone biopsy was done. After all the results came in my white blood count was 99,000 and I had 75% leukemia cells in my bone marrow.
I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in March 2010 at the age of 48. The cancer advanced rapidly and I was treated with a fludarabine/cyclophosphamide/rituximab (FCR) regimen at MD Anderson in Houston and locally in my hometown of Raleigh, NC between January and July of 2011. The treatment achieved a partial remission.