Survivorship - The Bloodline with Blood Cancer United Podcast

Join us for Part Two of a special two-part series as we speak to Dr. Christabel Cheung, a two-time Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor. In this episode, Christabel talks about her extraordinary struggles as a young adult with cancer, such as living alone without family support and having high healthcare costs. She also delves into the health disparities, racism and racial insensitivity that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) patients experience. Be sure to listen to Part One first to hear more about Christabel’s journey with Hodgkin Lymphoma as a Young Adult.

Mentioned on this episode:

• Dr. Brad J. Zebrack
• Elephants and Tea Magazine
• Jade Gangster
• Stupid Cancer
• Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL)

Additional LLS Support Resources:

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

Support for this episode provided by Seagen, Inc.

The post Hodgkin Lymphoma Part 2: Struggles of a Young Adult with Cancer first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us for a special two-part episode as we speak to Dr. Christabel Cheung, a two-time Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor. In Part One, Christabel tells us about her longtime journey with lymphoma, including a relapse and going through the second diagnosis during a global pandemic. She shares her struggles of not only a diagnosis, where she is in the small percentage that didn’t respond to first-line treatment, but also going through cancer as a racial minority and young adult. Be sure to tune into Part Two as she delves more into health disparities for young adults and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities.

Mentioned on this episode:

• Dr. Brad J. Zebrack
• The Impact of Cancer on Young Adults Video Clip featuring Dr. Brad Zebrak
• Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
• Brian Goldman
• Jade Gangster
• CancerCon
• Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL)

Additional LLS Support Resources:

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

Support for this episode provided by Seagen, Inc.

The post Hodgkin Lymphoma Part 1: Struggles of a Young Adult with Cancer first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak with Shelly Rosenfeld, Esq. from the Cancer Legal Resource Center and Dr. Steven Pergam from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Ms. Rosenfeld and Dr. Pergam presented at CancerCon during a session called, “Understanding Medical Marijuana: It’s a Joint Effort”. In this episode, our speakers dive into the various forms of marijuana, how they can be used to combat side effects of cancer treatment, and the legal issues surrounding their use throughout the United States.

Mentioned on this episode:

Additional LLS Support Resources:

The information contained in this podcast is for general information purposes only and is subject to change without notice. It is not intended to substitute the medical advice of your healthcare provider, information provided to you by your insurance carrier, or to provide legal advice with respect to the subject matter addressed in the podcast.

The post Medical Marijuana & Cancer: What you Need to Know first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to Dr. Meredith Hemphill Ruden, who had an informative session at CancerCon on Parenting with Cancer. Meredith is a licensed clinical social worker, 13-year Melanoma cancer survivor and Executive Director of the Feather Foundation. In this episode, Meredith dives into the challenging topic of being a parent while dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. After becoming a social worker following treatment, she started to notice that there weren’t as many resources to help parents who had cancer. To combat this shortfall, she started The Feather Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting parents throughout their cancer journey. This episode highlights the importance of making self-care a priority and how to find hope as a family while dealing with cancer.

Mentioned on this episode:

• The Feather Foundation
• Caregiver Support
• Support Groups
• Managing Your Cancer

Additional LLS Support Resources:

• Information Specialists
• Free telephone/web patient programs
• Free booklets
• Financial support
• Online chats
• LLS Community
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Free Nutrition Consultations

The post Strap on your Oxygen Mask First: Being a Parent with Cancer first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join us as we speak to Kristin Furhrmann-Simmons, a caregiver and an LLS volunteer. Kristin talks to us about caring for her father who is a CLL survivor, and how she decided to join LLS’s advocacy efforts through our Office of Public Policy.  For Kristin, it was a great way to connect with people in her community and share her family’s story.  And she knew that for her dad, being as sick as he was, it was helpful to have her as his voice to bring forward some of the issues that her family was facing as a result of his treatment.  This episode highlights how advocates carry the ability to uphold a voice that may have been silenced by a diagnosis.

Mentioned on this Episode:

• Advocacy
• Caregiver
• Team in Training
• Medicare Part D
• Mobile Action Network

Additional LLS Support Resources:

• Information Specialists
• Information & Support Services
• Clinical Trial Support Center
• Free telephone/web patient programs
• Free booklets
• Financial support
• Online chats
• Caregiver support
• LLS Community
• Support groups
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program
• Free Nutrition Consultations
• Oral Parity
• Prescription Out-of-Pocket Costs
• Share your Story
• Sign up to be an Advocate at LLS

The post I’m a Caregiver & Advocate: Kristin’s Story first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

We will be speaking with WWE Superstar, actor, and former professional football player, Joseph Anoai, who many may know as Roman Reigns. Apart from fighting opponents in the ring, Roman found himself fighting his biggest opponent yet after receiving his leukemia diagnosis back in 2007. Listen as Roman Reigns explains his cancer journey to our very own President & CEO, Dr. Louis DeGennaro.   

Mentioned on this episode:

• Roman Reigns
• Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
• Leukemia
• Make-A-Wish
• Types of treatment for CML
• Roman Reigns and LLS join forces

Additional LLS Support Resources:

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

The post Together in the Fight Against Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML): Roman Reigns’ Story first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join this conversation as Alicia, Edith and Lizette sit down to chat with Brett Hagler.  Brett is an author, cancer survivor, and CEO of New Story, an organization that pioneers solutions to end global homelessness by working to create the world’s first 3D-printed community. On this episode, Brett explains how his chondrosarcoma diagnosis helped to refine his focus and future goals, putting him on the path of creating something bigger than himself. Despite diagnosis, Brett challenges patients to reflect on the question, “How do I want to remember this moment 10 years from now?”, to help gather strength and purpose to push forward. He also describes the crucial role of caregivers and the importance of having a supportive community rallying around each person facing a serious illness. Listen in and be sure to tell us how you liked the episode, by commenting below!

Mentioned on this episode:

• New Story
• Chondrosarcoma

Additional LLS support resources:

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

Become a First Connection volunteer! Learn more by calling an LLS Information Specialist at (800) 955-4572, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET or visiting www.LLS.org/InformationSpecialists.

The post Creating Something Bigger Than Myself Despite Cancer: Brett Hagler’s Story first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Join this insightful conversation as Alicia, Edith and Lizette sit down to chat with Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, one of the nation’s leading scholars in the effort to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. Dr. Thomas is a Professor of Health Policy & Management and Director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.  On this episode, Dr. Thomas explains structural determinants of health and defines ‘health disparity’ and ‘health equity’ as it relates to ethnicity and race in America. Dr. Thomas emphasizes that only together can we create lasting change and better outcomes for all people. He explains how his students and colleagues continue to think outside the box when creating ways to bring education and awareness to those within marginalized groups. Dr. Thomas shares the results of various research studies, current trends and future plans and projects that help to address racial and ethnic disparities within healthcare.

Mentioned on this episode:

• Race,

Additional LLS support resources:

• Information Specialists
• Free telephone/web patient programs
• Free booklets
• Financial support
• Online chats
• Caregiver support
• LLS Community
• Support groups
• Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection Program

The post Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities Within Healthcare first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) recognizes the unique issues faced by blood cancer patients and caregivers from the moment of diagnosis throughout survivorship. These include psychosocial and emotional effects such as relationship stress, anxiety, depression, survivor guilt and more, which are further compounded by current events. Increased awareness about mental health and cancer can help patients and caregivers best advocate for treatment that meets the breadth of needs during the cancer journey and beyond. LLS provides education, support and resources that can help.

On this episode, Alicia, Edith and Lizette speak with Dr. Marni Amsellem, a clinical psychologist in private practice, specializing in health psychology, stress, and coping. Join the conversation as Dr. Amsellem explains the effects that social isolation, caused by forced change, can have on a person’s mental health and ways to cope with them. She shares the challenges that many face as a patient and as someone living through today’s coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. She suggests ways to shift perspective as well as shares additional resources that help to address the emotional impact of isolation.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please be

Mentioned on this episode:

• www.smarthealthpsych.com
• American Psychological

Additional LLS Support Resources:

• LLS

The post Coping with the Challenges of Living in Isolation first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

What does the effect of the virus have on blood cancer patients? What are hospitals doing to ensure cancer patients can still get treatment during this pandemic? What makes COVID-19 so different than other viruses? Has there been any progress made regarding treatment for COVID-19? Join us on this episode as Alicia and Lizette speak with Ruben A. Mesa, M.D., FACP who will answer these questions and more. Dr. Mesa is director of the Mays Cancer Center, home to the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center. Dr. Mesa has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator in more than 70 clinical trials for patients with myeloid disorders and played a lead role in various FDA approvals. Currently, he is a co-principal investigator of the NCI Program Project Grant Funded Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research Consortium, where he co-leads the clinical trial consortium. Listen in as Dr. Mesa details the reality of COVID-19, answers questions that many patients and caregivers are asking, and shares why he is hopeful about the future of this pandemic.

On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you to all healthcare workers on the frontlines of battling this virus. Doctors, nurses, researchers, technicians, transporters, EMTs, pharmacists, maintenance and cleaning staff, and everyone who supports patient care are rising to the occasion and caring for our most vulnerable populations.

We will get through this together. Stay safe.

Mentioned on this episode:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• LLS COVID-19 Patient Financial Aid Program
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Additional LLS support resources:

• World Health Organization
• Information Specialists
• Free telephone/web patient programs
• LLS Community
• Additional financial support
• Online Chats
• Caregiver support
• Support groups

The post What Blood Cancer Patients Need to Know About COVID-19 first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.