Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL/SLL)

The world works in mysterious ways, it truly does! When I first volunteered with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training (TNT) program in 2015, I never in a million years thought I would be fundraising in honor of my husband Dave. I started out fundraising for my step-grandmother Margaret and his grandmother Pearl.

I was diagnosed in 2009 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Upon diagnosis, perhaps the greatest shock was becoming aware that I knew so little about cancer, so little about the medical system, and how one needs to go about a process of self-education regarding their disease.

I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). As soon as you learn that you have a form of cancer in your body, read a lot about it. Learn as much as you can about your cancer and how to talk to your doctor. It's up to you; it’s a mind situation.

I was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in 2000 and had seven months of chemotherapy (ABVD) and 20 rounds of radiation. I have not had a reoccurrence of HL, but in 2014, I was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). I see my oncologist every four months to check my white blood count, and so far, I am still in a watch-and-wait situation.

My story begins with a routine yearly mammogram in April of 2020. I am currently a 25-year breast cancer survivor. So, regular mammograms are just a part of my yearly routine, a simple procedure that I endure yearly with no big issues to speak of ― until now. During the mammogram, they noticed enlarged lymph nodes.

In July of 2009, I was diagnosed with small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) after a biopsy of the lymph nodes in my neck. Of course, I did what everyone says not to do. I went online to read about it. I read there was no cure, and the average lifespan after diagnosis was 10 years. I was 57 at the time, and all I could think was that’s not long enough. I don’t even have grandchildren yet!