Age at diagnosis: 2 (with leukemia) and 9 (with lymphoma)
Current age: 26
Occupation: Cancer counselor, Long-Term Survivors Program at Duke University

Brett’s advice: Trust in God as hard as it may seem. Never give up, and keep a positive attitude.
Brett’s Cancer Journey
In 1974, when I was two years old, I was diagnosed with leukemia. I started chemotherapy and endured it for five years. I hardly remember much about this time because I was so young, but my mother tells me that I was very sick. My leukemia, however, did go into remission.After I beat leukemia, I went in for routine checkups. During one of the checkups seven years after my first diagnosis, my doctor said that I had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I just broke down crying and asked, “Why me?”

My treatment for lymphoma involved both chemotherapy and radiation. The worst part of it was laying on the cold table in the radiation room. I would look at the X and feel the heavy metal shield pressing against my chest. Sometimes I would become so bored that I would fall asleep. …read the rest of this entry»

Age at diagnosis: 17
Current age: 28
Occupation: Web designer

Dominic’s advice: Stay positive. Talk about how you are feeling.
Dominic’s Cancer Journey
In 1987, when I was 17, I developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. At the time, I had never heard of lymphoma and had no idea what it meant or how it could affect me.

To better understand my experience with lymphoma, it is necessary to know a bit about my medical history. I was born without abdominal muscles and with poor kidney function. My left kidney was removed when I was very young, and over the years my right kidney progressively deteriorated. When I was 13, I had a kidney transplant. My father donated one of his kidneys, which was a good match, and basically transformed my life.All transplant recipients are given immunosuppressive drugs after a transplant to help to prevent the transplanted organ from being rejected. The drawback of this is that it makes a person with a transplant more susceptible to other illnesses because it depresses the immune system. If the person does get an illness, it is harder to fight off. This is probably why I developed lymphoma. Although I wasn’t told about this at the time of my transplant, I later found out that lymphomas are quite common among transplant recipients who are taking immunosuppressants. …read the rest of this entry»

Welcome and Participant Introductions

Wendy Harpham:
Hi! Welcome to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Survivors Network. I’m Dr. Wendy Harpham, your host. Today I will be talking with three women in their late 30s and early 40s, all of whom have been treated for lymphoma or leukemia. As a long-term survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma myself, I’m pleased to be your host for today’s conversation as we talk about ways to stay healthy emotionally and spiritually during treatment and recovery, understanding what it means to have a normal life after cancer, finding support groups for young survivors, concerns regarding the long-term and late effects of cancer treatments, and dealing in healthy ways with the possibility of recurrence.

Our first guest is Lisa, a 40-year-old cancer survivor from Texas. Lisa is a single mom with two children, a boy six and a half, and a girl four and a half. Welcome to the program, Lisa.

Lisa:
Thank you, Wendy. It’s very good to be here.

Wendy Harpham:
What are your children’s names?

Lisa:
Mitchell and Emily.

Wendy Harpham:
Great. Now, I understand that in the spring of 2000 you found out about your cancer after having an elective surgery. Apparently your incision didn’t heal well and then you developed pneumonia in both lungs.

Lisa:
That’s correct.

Wendy Harpham:
And testing revealed that you had AML, acute myelogenous leukemia. So you were started on chemotherapy immediately, and your leukemia went into remission right away. …read the rest of this entry»

Participant introductions

My name is Kevin, and I’m a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor. I’d like to take a moment to introduce the survivors who will be participating in our discussion, “Coping with your fears.”
Our host is Andrew Schorr, medical broadcaster from Seattle. Andrew was diagnosed two-and-a-half years ago with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He so far has not had to have treatment. Joining us is his wife Esther. Married to Andrew for 13 years, they share three children. Jeanne is from California and is a long-term survivor of breast cancer and several months of chemo. Maricela lives in Texas and had surgery for breast cancer. She is an office manager for a doctor, and even with access to information, she found it difficult to cope with her fears. Bonnie from Minnesota is also a breast cancer survivor diagnosed over 15 years ago at a very critical time in her life. Robert, an attorney, lives in California and was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
You will be listening to a very honest and personal discussion on the fears, concerns and issues faced by each of these survivors. They will describe the impact that cancer has had on their lives and their loved ones, their outlooks on the future and life in general, as well as the support and comfort that they have received in lessening the impact of these fears.
This discussion is unique in that it represents the views and opinions of real people living with cancer. This discussion does not necessarily represent expert opinion, nor the opinions of the American Cancer Society. The information represents what has worked and not worked for others dealing with cancer. As people deal with their cancer in many unique ways, it is up to the listener to determine what is appropriate and relevant for them. We hope the information is helpful and welcome your feedback. …read the rest of this entry»

Participant introductions

My name is Bonnie, and in 1983 when I was 33 years old I was diagnosed with breast cancer. There are so many things to deal with when you have a cancer diagnosis. The physical aspects of treatment, the emotions and feelings you have, and then you have to deal with the system: managed care, insurance companies, the whole healthcare bureaucracy. In a few minutes, you’ll hear six cancer survivors talk about how they dealt with issues like understanding your treatment options and getting the information you need from your doctor, navigating the healthcare system, making sure your treatments are covered, and working with insurance companies and agents.
Medical broadcaster Andrew Schorr, the discussion leader, was diagnosed two years ago with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Ann is from Massachusetts and was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 1988. Susan from California is 41. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991. Laurie is from Connecticut. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1988. Doug is from Minnesota. He is a 15-year survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and works in the health insurance business.
This discussion is unique in that it represents the view and opinions of real people living with cancer. This means that it does not necessarily represent expert opinion, nor the opinions of the American Cancer Society. Information represents what has worked and not worked for others dealing with cancer. People deal with their cancer in many unique ways. It is up to the listener to determine what is appropriate and relevant for them. We hope the information is helpful, and we welcome your feedback.

Asking questions

Anne, Massachusetts
ANDREW:
Anne, I understand that you found out you had colon cancer in 1988. …read the rest of this entry»

Participant introductions
Hello, my name is Kevin and I’m a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor. I’d like to take a moment and introduce survivors that will be participating in our discussion titled “Getting Informed.”

Our host is Andrew Schorr, a medical broadcaster from Seattle. Andrew was diagnosed two and a half years ago with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He so far has not had to have treatment. Mary Jane from Indiana was diagnosed with throat cancer and is a social worker for oncology patients. Seth lives in Maryland, and he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and is a strong believer in gathering information. Bob lives in Mississippi and was diagnosed with a tumor on his hip. Bob has an interesting experience regarding second opinions. Lolita is from Nebraska, and she was diagnosed very recently with stomach cancer and is seeking more information. You’ll be listening to very honest and personal discussions by each these survivors as they went about obtaining information and second opinions on their diagnosis. You will hear how being informed impacted their treatment decisions, their recovery and helped to comfort them on this journey. In particular, listen to how Lolita is helped by the experience of the other survivors.

This discussion is unique in that it represents the views and opinions ofreal people living with cancer. This discussion does not necessarily represent expert opinion, nor the opinions of the American Cancer Society. The information represents what has worked and not worked for others dealing with cancer. As people deal with their cancer in many unique ways, it is up to the listener to determine what is appropriate and relevant for them. We hope the information is helpful and we welcome your feedback. …read the rest of this entry»