My daughter Mackenzie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in January 2014. Despite being the most common form of childhood cancer that has a very prescribed protocol with better-than-most survival rates, the diagnosis petrified me. My nine-year-old had cancer. Nothing could have prepared me for all that would mean in the next two years, but there were a few things that helped my family navigate this new world. I share the following in hopes that it will help...
I am glad to be here. Literally. Being a survivor is a good thing. I could have been six feet under, after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on December 16, 2000. I was 40 years old, raising two children with my husband Ron. Our daughter was almost 4 years old and our son was 16 months. After I was diagnosed, I spoke with a survivor through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s First Connection program. Hearing her voice on the phone gave me so much hope. She was...
Do you feel stuck in your world of cancer? I used to. Now, in my author bio, I usually list mysel...
Well, times were dark indeed Feeling my body betrayed me Life was good. My wife Bonnie and I were settling into a lifestyle that was becoming less demanding and more fun. Our only son was about to graduate college. My son and I were making music together and playing some local clubs and bars. I was physically active and worked out regularly. I had recently made changes to my diet due to a history of slightly high cholesterol and was curious to see what effect (if any) it would have...
Beat AML is a collaboration launched nearly three years ago by LLS and the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), to go on the offenensive against acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a blood cancer with a poor prognosis and little change in the standard of care in 40 years. More than a dozen abstracts from the first phase of the initiative will be featured throughout the American Society of Hematology (#ASH15) Annual Meeting in Orlando over the next few days. #...
When I was first admitted to the hospital, a nurse told me that I was lucky to have my kind of cancer. Half of me said “Screw you!” and the other half said, “You’re right.” Today, I am nearing the 2 ½ year anniversary of my chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) diagnosis. My blood is in remission from the disease, and my bone marrow is almost there, too. Cancer feels very far away from my daily life—when I take my pills, I don’t think “Ho hum, taking my oral chemotherapy!”. Th...
“Hola,” I said playfully, as I answered my cell phone on a beautiful Saturday -- April 21, 2012. “This is Dr. so and so. I’m calling because your blood work from yesterday is all out of whack.” “What do you mean, ‘Out of whack?’” “Your white blood cell count is high,” he said. “What’s high? “It's at 63,000.” “And what's it supposed to be?” “10,000.” In that moment, while at a barbecue with friends, I knew that I had leukemia. I uncharacteristica...
