Brian Lott became part of the LLS family during treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma in 2004. Brian’s company, Burson-Marsteller, is a National Partner of the 2009 Light The Night Walk...
In 2004, I was 39 years old and in the middle of a professional career as a public relations consultant when, during a routine physical, a massive tumor showed up on a chest X-Ray. A biopsy and scans indicated it was Stage IIIs Hogdkin’s Lymphoma.
My wife and I were living in Germany at the time, so we relocated back to the States to seek treatment in Boston. We did extensive research on the disease, getting valuable advice and information from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. We needed help – we were trying to sort out moving, insurance coverage, financial assistance and housing needs all at the same time.
What we thought would be a six-month treatment plan turned into two years. The standard chemo regimen did not work on my tumors, nor did a second-line chemo. My doctors recommended high-dose chemotherapy and an autologous stem-cell transplant. That put me into remission, and to keep the cancer at bay, I had 37 radiation treatments to the affected areas. It took twelve months of physical therapy to deal with the side effects of the treatment, but I was able to return to work full-time in 2006.
Five cancer-free years later, I am considered ‘cured.’ Forty years ago, my medical options would have been extremely limited. I have always been amazed that what was once an ‘experimental’ treatment – high-dose chemo and a stem-cell transplant – is now a widely-accepted option for blood cancer, thanks to advances in medical research and the work of organizations like LLS.
And, proven treatments for blood cancers are now expanding to other kinds of cancer, bringing hope for more cures. That is why I am such a strong supporter of Light The Night Walk – not just for the assistance it provides to patients and their families, but the medical progress it helps fund, to reduce the suffering and loss millions of families experience every year.
Please join the effort to help us bring more cures to those affected with cancer!
This Sunday Philly plays host to the premier half marathon in the country; The Philadelphia Distance Run. I have done this race many times although I have missed the last couple of years do to race schedule conflicts. One of my best memories of this race was always seeing a guy named
Off to the Races
I am packed, locked, and loaded for this weekend’s ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance Triathlon in Cambridge Maryland. Or I am at least packed. Leaving tomorrow morning to help out a little with race registration and packet pick up. Not sure what my connectivity will be but I will try to shoot out some updates or Tweets if possible. At the very least, you can expect a detailed race report on what hopes to be a great weekend when I return.