Blood Cancer Awareness Month 2023: Survivorship

This month we are recognizing Blood Cancer Awareness Month, celebrating the lives of everyone in this community and the memories of those who are no longer with us.

Surviving blood cancer

Survivorship is our theme this year. Please take some time to read the articles linked below about what it means to be a blood cancer survivor, written by our health leaders living with blood cancer.

What does it mean to be a survivor?

One definition of the word "survivor" is "a person who copes well with difficulties in their life." Another is "one who continues to exist." From the moment of diagnosis, one is surviving cancer, but that term may mean something different to each of us. What does survivorship mean to you?

Survivorship: Views from our Health Leaders

• You Are a Survivor
• Surviving Survivorship
• Surviving Blood Cancer: Lessons from a TV Show
• Survivors Bell
• Reinventing Yourself After Cancer

Special dates during Blood Cancer Awareness Month

September 10: MPN (Myeloproliferative Neoplasms) Awareness Day

Health Leader Deb Wesloh writes, "This diagnosis was a complete surprise as I was generally healthy. I didn't really have any symptoms...or at least at the time, I didn't attribute them to having PV, a kind of MPN. In hindsight, I likely had PV for quite a few years without realizing it." Read Deb's article.

September 22: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Awareness Day

Health Leader Susan Gonsalves writes, "Since I first heard about it, I always thought it was very clever of someone to designate a day for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), or chronic myelogenous leukemia, on September 22." (CML happens because of a chromosomal translocation – when pieces of 2 chromosomes, the 9th and 22nd, switch places.) Read Susan's article.

Enter our Blood Cancer Awareness Month 2023 Giveaway