Please Keep Bill in Your Thoughts

A close friend of mine has an uncle, Bill, who has been battling lymphoma for a number of years now. He had a stem cell transplant last winter, and it looked like everything was moving in the right direction until very recently, when he noticed some symptoms returning and started feeling poorly. After a number of appointments, it sounds like his lymphoma has returned and is in his bone marrow.

His particular type of lymphoma has been very difficult to diagnose and treat. His doctors previously thought he had Hodgkin's disease, but now believe that he has another type of lymphoma, peripheral t-cell lymphoma, which has cells that look very similar to Hodgkin's disease. This type of lymphoma is rare and odd-behaving, and it is also very aggressive. This is the third time he has been diagnosed with a different lymphoma, and he has undergone a number of different chemotherapies, so his options are limited. Bill started a new chemo treatment yesterday, one that is being used with peripheral t-cell patients. Please keep Bill and his family in your thoughts as he undergoes this new treatment.

Bill's story is definitely one of knowing your own body and listening to it. I am so glad he and his family have continued to seek out answers, and so sad they have had to go through this to begin with. There is so much left for us to learn in the area of blood cancers, and all cancers.

I've never met him, but I will be running in honor of Bill next month. Again, please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.