Adults

I was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL) in October 2020 at the age of 38. It was a shocking diagnosis. I started feeling bad in September with extreme fatigue and some body aches, nothing terribly alarming. I'm a busy wife and mom of two young kids (ages 2 and 8 at the time of diagnosis) with a full-time job and two new puppies.

I was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) when I was 21 years old. It was the summer going into my senior year of college, and I had just returned home from a semester abroad. I assumed the stomachaches I was experiencing were because of the food and drinks I had while enjoying my time in Europe. I was actually told I had H.

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.

In 2001 at the age of 31, I was living in Maui working at the Ritz Carlton and began to feel sick. I had a rash on my hand, was tired, losing weight, and just did not feel well. I had been healthy all my life so thought it would pass.

I was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in December of 2020. I went through six treatments from January 2021 to June 2021. The treatments were a series of shots for seven days at the beginning of the month. In July 2021, I was approved for my stem cell transplant at The James Cancer Center, The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. I had my stem cell transplant on July 29.

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.

I was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in January 2018. I was lucky enough to get into City of Hope which is about 25 minutes from my house. I received all my treatment there. The first treatment was R-CHOP chemotherapy which required me to be in the hospital three to five days every three weeks for six months.

As a lymphoma survivor, I want to take a moment to share my personal journey, as well as tell you all how The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) was with me every step of the way.

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!