World Lymphoma Awareness Day (WLAD) is held on September 15 every year and is a day dedicated to raising awareness of lymphoma, an increasingly common form of cancer. It is a global initiative hosted by the Lymphoma Coalition.
I am a cancer survivor who battled a type of lymphoma. (What is lymphoma, you may wonder? Well, get ready for hard core medical scientific explanation.) Lymphoma is a cancer that begins in the cells of the lymph system, which is part of the immune system that helps the body fight infection and disease. The 2 primary types of lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). They occur in both children and adults. Hodgkin lymphoma – most people with Hodgkin lymphoma have the classic form. This means they have large, abnormal lymphocytes (white blood cells) in their lymph nodes. Hodgkin lymphoma is usually curable. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma – unlike Hodgkin lymphoma, NHL has a number of different types that form different kinds of white blood cells, such as B cells and T cells. NHL may be slow-growing or aggressive. The most common type of aggressive lymphoma is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.(Ok now that the medical scientific explanation is out of the way. Let’s continue with the story).
My particular lymphoma was an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It was a difficult battle that I was able to overcome thanks to God, my loved ones, the medical staff, even strangers that donated blood and everyone that had me in their thoughts and prayers. My cancer battle brought a new perspective and meaning to my life, it made me realize that I should not let myself be consumed with the daily tasks of life and ensure that I embrace the very delicate precious gift of life.
For some, the thought of illness or ageing means, the duller and more restrictive we should be and the less fun we should have. It is easy to let the difficulties of life crush the joy away from us. If our life is only about work, home responsibilities, stress, deadlines and trying to solve everything ourselves, then we will feel overwhelmed, which is not part of God’s plan for us. He gave us the wonderful gift of life paired with a good sense of humor so that we may make the best of even the worst situations. I have a frame that says, Live, Laugh and Love and I believe in that. We are supposed to laugh and have fun while being responsible and good natured at the same time. Don’t let life overwhelm you to the point that you forget to laugh and be happy. Remember to laugh and embrace life with a good attitude. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, all we have is now so make up your mind to stay full of joy. May your life be filled with joy, love and laughter every day, even on the difficult ones.
#Joy
Cancer: The Upside 
Hi Kelly, how is it going? How are you and your father? Hope you are OK. Your story is amazing as I have always believed. ❤️ 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽❣️😍
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Hi Ellen thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement and support always.
How are you doing? How are things with your husband?
Things with my mom are going sometimes good and sometimes not so good. He has had several setbacks recently which is why I haven’t been able to post as frequently. You know how it is. Life always has its ups and downs. The only things I have to remember is that no matter what the circumstances are God is always with us and that everything happens for a reason.
Hope everything is going well with you. Many blessing to you and your husband always.
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Thank you so much, Kelly. Things are ok…you and your father continue to be in my prayers every day. I thank you for your blessings. 🙏🏽 ❣️😍🙏🏽
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Glad to see you in this space again and that God is still so important in your life. Prayers and thoughts for you and your dad.
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Hi Sandy thank you so much for your continuous kind words of encouragement, support and blessings. It really means so much. 🙏♥️
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😍
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Thanks for sharing.
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I wish I knew all was OK.
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Hi Sandy thank you for reaching out sadly all is not well. I regret to inform you that my dad lost his cancer battle. It’s been extremely difficult time for all of us. I am just barely starting to try and get back to my routine of writing in the blog. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers and inform all of his passing. This year is one thing after another. I just recently learned of another distant relative that also lost his battle with cancer. I know that God only takes the best with him and I have comfort in knowing that they are no longer in pain. They can finally rest in peace 🙏🙏 .
How are you and your husband doing? Hope everything is going well with you all. Wishing you many blessings my dear Sandy🙏💐💖
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Ah, Kelly. I have often thought of you. Sad times, but they are out of pain but still part of our memories. Take your time and do what is best for you. We are here.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Thank you for having the courage to tell us. Warm hugs. Sandy🙂
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Oh, Kelly, I am so very, very sorry. I remember how hard you fought for your Dad to live. I, too, felt that way when my Dad was dying, would have done almost anything to keep him alive. But if we live long enough, we all lose our parents. It takes a long time to get over it and sometimes there are still pangs of heartache but, as cruel as it seems, life does go on and those left whom we love we hold even closer. My heart goes out to you. I knew your silence online was not a good sign but I am happy you resurfaced. When you feel up to it, if you do, you might blog again. You are still in my thoughts and prayers. Big hug, Ellen
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