I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (low grade-small cell) in July of
1994 after having a small lump in my neck biopsied. I was treated for five
months with chemotherapy every three weeks and went into total remission
before Christmas of that year. In February of 1995 Dr. Petersdorf at the
University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) surgically extracted bone
marrow from my pelvis which was stored at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center for
future use in an autogolous (use own) bone marrow transplant. I remained in
remission for five years until January of 1999. An elevated WBC count
indicated there was a problem and further tests indicated the cancer was
actually Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), not lymphoma. The treatment for
both cancers are similar in many aspects so no harm was done. In February of
1999 I had 4 cycles of a chemotherapy drug called Fludora which quickly
brought me back into remission. The remission only lasted a few months.
After much research, many doctor visits, and prayer we decided a bone marrow
transplant (BMT) would be the best option for a long remission or cure.

For more information on my type of cancer, click here.