Maria Valente

For over a decade I worked while undergoing treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia. I experienced a delicate balance between work commitments and health challenges while fully employed. Throughout that time...

I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2011. I can honestly say that at that time, the fear of this disease rendered me speechless. My family doctor gave me...

I have been a leukemia patient since 2011. I had lost quite a bit of weight, and stomach issues only made it worse. Dehydration and a trip to the urgent...

I don’t know anyone with a cancer diagnosis that doesn’t experience fear, crippling doubt, and ample amounts of anxiety. I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2011. I’ve only...

I was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. There were a few symptoms that my doctor had followed up on. Many of the symptoms were pretty vague and persistent. The one...

I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia in 2011. Having an autoimmune disease means trying to avoid infections wherever we can. My fellow blood cancer patients can relate. When I...

Ever feel like you are running from blood cancer and it keeps catching up? Since being diagnosed with leukemia in 2011 I have found myself outmaneuvering, outthinking (if that’s a...

For us blood-cancer patients fatigue can hit pretty hard. It’s like a weight that gets heavier and heavier. I was diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. I’ve been fighting fatigue ever...

How are you? It’s a polite question to ask. It's a friendly way to start a conversation. It can be a complicated question for a cancer patient though. It’s the...

I’ve been a leukemia patient since 2011 and it isn’t always easy to navigate this disease. It can be painful, disturbing, and confusing even on my best days. I think...

I’m not a big follower of The National Basketball Association, but when Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, told Forbes last year that the pricing for generic drugs was...

How many of us have considered our health as we balance our expenses? This situation is mired in difficulties, but for many of us it’s an everyday occurrence. My groceries...

Cancer is a heavy word and for most people. It has a very negative connotation and I don’t think I’ve met anyone who hasn’t been touched by it. Maybe not...

My only experiences with cancer before I was diagnosed were either: 1. People who beat it and 2. People who didn’t beat it. From what I saw, beating it meant...

I’ve been living with leukemia for a little over a decade now. To see me, you’d probably think I’m doing ok. I mean, I’m not one who likes to complain...

I admit to being a little dark. Not my skin or my hair, but my humor. Ten years of chemotherapy and sometimes all I need is a laugh. It’s this...

I never know how people will respond to information about us having blood cancer. When we talk about it and share our experiences, I’d like to say that most responses...

There are times when I feel comfortable enough to share my diagnosis and my symptoms with someone. I’ve been treating this chronic myeloid leukemia for ten years now and often...