Episodes - The Bloodline with Blood Cancer United Podcast

Join us as we speak to Veronika Panagiotou, a non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor and Alique Topalian, a two-time AML survivor. In this episode, Veronika and Alique discuss the long-term side effects they have been experiencing as a result of their chemotherapy treatments.

While their lives have been impacted by these treatments, they have been able to find joy and peace as they work to overcome these side effects. Don’t miss out on this important episode, as blood cancer patients learn to give themselves grace during challenging days in treatment and beyond.

Mentioned on this episode: 

• Diffuse large b cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
• LIVE! At CancerCon: A Journey Through Survivorship podcast episode
• Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
• Cancer-related cognitive impairment
• The Gathering Place
• Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana (other cities available)
• Caring for Kids and Adolescents Workbook
• Survivorship Workbook

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists
• Financial support
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• LLS Financial Assistance Program
• LLS Community 
• Online chats 
• Caregiver support 
• Support groups 
• Caregiver Workbook
• Free Nutrition Consultations 
• LLS Advocacy

Support for this episode provided by: Pharmacyclics, An AbbVie Company and Janssen Biotech.

The post Give Yourself Grace: Overcoming Long-term Side Effects first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to Heidi MacAlpine, a chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patient and occupational therapist. In this episode, Heidi talks to us about her diagnosis of CLL and how she has utilized wellness techniques to reduce inflammation and maintain a good quality of life while on a watch and wait protocol. 

This episode will help patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals understand the benefits of adding wellness practices to conventional therapies, such as yoga, mindfulness, journaling, and massage, to decrease side effects and improve the life of patients following a cancer diagnosis. 

Mentioned on this episode: 

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• Watch and Wait (Active Monitoring) protocol
• LLS Write It Out Journal
• Genetic predisposition to CLL
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• Patient-Doctor Perspectives: Shared Decision Making podcast episode
• Shared Decision Making in Chronic Leukemias interactive program
• American Association for Cancer Research
• Interleukin 8
• Caregiver support

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists
• Financial support
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• LLS Financial Assistance Program
• LLS Community 
• Online chats 
• Support groups 
• Caregiver Workbook
• Free Nutrition Consultations 
• LLS Advocacy
• Survivorship Workbook

Support for this episode provided by: BeiGene USA, Inc.; Bristol Myers Squibb; Genentech, Inc. & Biogen; Loxo Oncology at Lilly and Pharmacyclics, An AbbVie Company & Janssen Biotech.

The post Improving Quality of Life Through Wellness Practices first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to Tim Cooper, a multiple myeloma patient and caregiver. In this episode, Tim discusses how he was diagnosed with myeloma after sustaining a neck fracture. Unlike many patients, he was familiar with myeloma, as his mother had been diagnosed with myeloma years prior.  

After multiple treatments, including chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation, Tim is doing well and enjoying life. He finds that sharing his story is therapeutic and encourages other patients to keep pushing forward and find hope after a blood cancer diagnosis.  

Mentioned on this episode: 

• Multiple Myeloma
• LLS Financial Assistance Program
• Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
• Beating Incurable podcast episodes
• Caregiver support 

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists
• Financial support
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• LLS Community 
• Online chats 
• Support groups 
• Caregiver Workbook
• Free Nutrition Consultations 
• LLS Advocacy
• Survivorship Workbook

Support for this episode provided by: Bristol Myers Squibb; GSK plc.

The post Making The Decision To Live: A Myeloma Story first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to Laurie Adami, a follicular lymphoma (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) survivor. In this episode, Laurie shares her long journey through multiple cancer treatments, which eventually led to CAR T-cell therapy and complete remission.

Hear one patient’s story of hope, as new treatments continued to come out, keeping her stable until the one that finally worked was approved for her disease. Her story of resilience and determination to stay alive for her young son is the inspiration that so many blood cancer patients need.

Mentioned on this episode: 

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

Support for this episode provided by: Allogene Therapeutics; Bristol Myers Squibb; CRISPR Therapeutics; Janssen Oncology & Legend Biotech; Kite, A Gilead Company; Novartis Oncology.

The post Statistics Don’t Color My Outcome: A CAR T-cell Therapy Success first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to Dr. Lee Greenberger, the Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In this episode, Dr. Greenberger gives us updates on the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus has continued to evolve at a rapid pace, we discuss how the national approach to this pandemic has changed and what measures we can use to stay safe.

Patients and their families will be given updated and accurate information to stay safe as we all move into the winter season, where we gather indoors and celebrate holidays with family and friends.

Mentioned on this episode: 

• LLS COVID Website
• LLS Patient Registry
• Protecting Patients: COVID and Vaccine Updates podcast episode
• COVID variant soup is making winter surges hard to predict – Nature
• CDC Weekly Covid Tracker
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Online Chat for Patients and Caregivers: Banding Together: Feeling Good Fridays
• Caregivers: Banding Together: Feeling Good Fridays

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists
• Financial support
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• LLS Public Policy & Advocacy
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• LLS Community 
• Online chats 
• Support groups 
• Caregiver support 
• Caregiver Workbook
• Free Nutrition Consultations 
• LLS Advocacy
• Survivorship Workbook

Support for this episode provided by: BeiGene; Bristol Myers Squibb; Genentech, Inc.; Kite, A Gilead Company; Pfizer, Inc.; Pharmacyclics, An AbbVie Company & Janssen Biotech.

The post COVID: Staying Safe As The Virus Evolves first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to lymphoma patient, Leona, her husband and caregiver, Howell, and Tia Newcomer, the CEO of CaringBridge®. In this episode, Leona and Howell discuss the benefits of utilizing patient and caregiver support resources like the online journaling site, CaringBridge, to communicate with loved ones after Leona’s diagnosis. They were comforted that the site also afforded the opportunity for family members and friends to engage and give them support.

Tia then shares the mission of CaringBridge and how it has evolved into a community of over one million pages where patients and caregivers communicate their updates and needs with family members from diagnosis through survivorship.

Mentioned on this episode: 

• CaringBridge®
• Diffuse Large B Lymphoma
• MealTrain
• Write for Life: Persisting in Online Health Communities through Expressive Writing and Social Support
• Caregiver support 
• Caregiver Workbook

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists
• Financial support
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• LLS Public Policy & Advocacy
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• LLS Community 
• Online chats 
• Support groups 
• Free Nutrition Consultations 
• LLS Advocacy
• Survivorship Workbook

The post Engaging with Loved Ones: A CaringBridge Story first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to John Falco, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 2019 and then later diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in his brain in 2021. This incredibly rare second diagnosis changed the course of John’s treatment and thankfully led to him achieving a complete remission after a stem cell transplant.

As a young adult professional, John was at the heart of his career at the time of his diagnosis and felt the pressure to return to normal, which meant returning to work quickly. He shares advice with other young adult cancer patients to slow down and enjoy life, while also listening to your body and advocating for yourself.

Mentioned on this episode: 

• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• Stem Cell Transplant
• Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs)
• Be The Match – Bone Marrow Donor Registry
• Let’s Talk About Stem Cell Transplantation: Benefits and Side Effects podcast episode
• Tips about Talking to Your Employer 
• Light The Night event

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists
• Financial support
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• LLS Public Policy & Advocacy
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• LLS Community 
• Online chats 
• Caregiver support 
• Support groups 
• Free Nutrition Consultations 
• LLS Advocacy
• Survivorship Workbook

The post A Young Adult’s Journey Through Two Leukemia Diagnoses first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to Dr. Anand Patel and Dr. Satyajit Kosuri from The University of Chicago Medicine about the latest treatment advances for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In honor of MDS Awareness Day on October 25th, the doctors discuss how MDS develops, why genetic mutations matter when choosing a treatment course, and how stem cell transplantation, targeted treatments and cellular therapies bring hope to MDS patients and their families.

Mentioned on this episode: 

• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• Transplant Support and Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD) episode
• Patient-Doctor Perspectives: Hereditary Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
• Transplant Optimization Program (TOP)
• MyeloMATCH initiative
• CAR T-cell Therapy
• Stem Cell Transplant
• Cellular Therapies
• Graft-Vs-Host Disease
• Be The Match – Bone Marrow Donor Registry

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists 
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• Financial support
• Young Adult Resources
• Survivorship Workbook
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• Online chats 
• Caregiver support 
• LLS Community 
• Support groups 
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program 
• Free Nutrition Consultations

Support for this episode is provided by University of Chicago Medicine.

The post Instilling Hope Through Progress: Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Don’t miss this story of a patient who refuses to let cancer define his life.  

Join us as we speak to Bruce Rieder, who was diagnosed in 2019 with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In this episode, Bruce shares about his diagnosis and subsequent search for a clinical trial. He connected with the LLS Clinical Trial Support Center, sought out a second opinion and ended up with a specialist in a nearby cancer center. He received a stem cell transplant in February 2020, right before the world shut down due to COVID.  

Now, two years after his transplant, Bruce stays active in the LLS Community and has received support from the Patti Robinson Kauffman First Connection® program.

Mentioned on this episode: 

• Mantle Cell Lymphoma
• Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Part One: Treatment Advances episode
• Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Part Two: CAR T-Cell Therapy episode
• Stem Cell Transplant
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
• COVID Information
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• LLS Community 

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

• Information Specialists
• Financial support
• Free telephone/web patient programs 
• Free booklets 
• LLS Public Policy & Advocacy
• Online chats 
• Caregiver support 
• Support groups 
• Free Nutrition Consultations 
• LLS Advocacy
• Survivorship Workbook

Support for this episode provided by Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Inc. & Biogen, and Merck & Co., Inc.

The post Cancer Doesn’t Define My Life: A Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Story first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Please join us for a brand new series called, Community Outreach In The Field, where our field correspondents, comprised of LLS Staff, will be interviewing health advocates, patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals in the communities in which they serve. These episodes will give the listener the feel that they are right in the middle of the action.

In the first episode, Bryon Daily, the National Community Outreach Manager for LLS’ Myeloma Link Program, explored one of the newest outreach settings called Blood and Chess. This chess event took place in Atlanta, Georgia, at The Anguished Barber and is designed as an off shoot of the barbershop model, where advocates can spread blood cancer awareness in comfortable community settings and help to decrease healthcare disparities of underserved communities.

Mentioned on this episode: 

Additional LLS Support Resources: 

Support for this episode provided by Genentech, Inc. and Biogen

The post Community Outreach In The Field: Blood and Chess Atlanta first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.