Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL/SLL)

I was born in the inner city of Philadelphia, PA in 1951, I currently live near Dallas, Texas. My professional career in the Information Technology Industry lasted over 40 years prior to my retirement in January 2019. In 2002 I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and many aspects of my life changed forever.

I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2021 after a routine physical after my 50th birthday. It was a complete shock and I was scared and unsure of what my future would look like. With the help of my doctors and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), I feel prepared to make informed decisions about my future.

I was recently diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). My mom passed away from pulmonary fibrosis right before Thanksgiving 2022. She never smoked and had none of the risk factors that led to that type of disease. I have a 2½-year-old daughter, and I am an older mom, so I figured I should get a physical to make sure I and my lungs were healthy.

Stay focused, stay positive, live as life as normally as you did before diagnosis, and do your best.

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 an eight-hour infusion of Rituxan. As I sat in the recliner