A Special Message From A Survivor

It seems that people everywhere these days are having a hard time finding the resources they need to keep going. Imagine, then, what it's like to be diagnosed with a blood cancer on top of everything else. That's what happened to Jim Walton, who learned how important information and support can be when a cancer diagnosis comes out of the blue. I had been miserable for days and thought it was the flu. But when I just couldn't shake it, I went to the hospital and was waiting for results when I learned, rather abruptly, that I had acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). I was alone and terrified. Hospitalized for six months, I had aggressive chemo, nearly died more than once and dropped from 210 down to 130 lbs! My wife left me and there was no one to advocate for me with busy healthcare professionals. I thank my laptop computer and resources, starting with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's website ( www.LLS.org), for arming me with the information I needed to survive. By the time I left the hospital, I felt well enough to be angry, and clear-headed enough to realize that anger wouldn't help me or anyone else. So I turned my anger into action. Because LLS was there for me when I needed them, I became an active volunteer with my local chapter, participating in Light The Night Walks last year and becoming an Honored Teammate for Team In Training. And I've applied to become a First Connection volunteer as well.. Having cancer has taught me things I might never have otherwise learned. Two weeks before my diagnosis, I felt like a million bucks. You could never have made me believe I had cancer. Now I realize that this can happen to anybody and I believe that, whether you're a cancer survivor or perfectly healthy, all of us are responsible to help people going through what I did. I'm so grateful that now I'm in a position to be giving back. --Jim Walton I wish you and your loved ones the blessings of hope and good health. Sincerely, John E. Walter President & CEO The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society