#BraveLikeLandon
Image © Mike Scott 2011
Name: Landon Peacock
Age: 35
Diagnosis: Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Years of Survivorship: I was diagnosed a few months ago
Location: West Chester, PA
Follow Landon on Instagram.
“It is inevitable that a serious disease will become a part of your identity. That does not mean you have to give up who you were before the diagnosis.”
How has running or staying physically active affected your cancer journey?
“I am at the beginning of my experience with cancer and skills that I developed as a runner have already been beneficial during this journey. As runners, we learn to manage pain, discomfort and how to persevere through something difficult. Most importantly, running helped me to catch my leukemia at an early stage.
Like many other long time runners, I am deeply in tune with my body when running and it did not take long for me to notice that something was wrong. I would become winded, even at slower paces, and had to stop and walk on the easiest of runs. This was incredibly abnormal for me. Initially, I thought I was just dealing with long COVID, since I had contracted it about a month prior, and I delayed seeking medical help. However, it was these abnormal changes in my running that made it obvious that I needed to seek help. The last run I attempted before my diagnosis, I ran three miles at a pace much slower than normal, and my body was going anaerobic. I began to feel lactic build up in my legs and arms and had to stop several times. This is a level of fatigue I would normally only feel after completing a very hard interval session. After this run, I immediately made an appointment to see my doctor.
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that interferes with the normal production of red and white blood cells as well as platelets. It progresses rapidly and can become dangerous within a matter of months. Without noticing changes in my running, my diagnosis and start date of treatment would have been delayed and the disease could have been much worse and more difficult to treat. There is a good chance that running has improved the outcome of my battle with AML.”
What advice do you have for people on staying fit throughout their cancer treatment or recovery?
Landon won the Big 10 Championships for Cross Country in 2010 and later ran professionally for two years.
“I believe the less you give up from your normal lifestyle, the better you are able to maintain your mental health. It is inevitable that a serious disease will become a part of your identity. That does not mean you have to give up who you were before the diagnosis. Continuing to participate and grow in activities like running is a way to preserve feeling like yourself and not let your disease be at the forefront of your identity.”
“If there is one thing I learned from Gabe’s story, it is the necessity for humans to help one another. As I have shared my story with friends, family, and my community, I have benefitted in a big way from the support I have received. As a result of this support and Gabe’s story I have asked myself, how can I play a role in helping others?”
How has Gabe's story impacted you or changed the way you view life as a cancer patient/survivor?
“Gabe Grunewald’s story is one of selflessness and care for others. I can’t imagine how she must have felt knowing there had been little research on her diagnosis and as a result little knowledge about treatments. There are treatments for my diagnoses and even so, it has been difficult to reconcile my misfortunes. In Gabe’s circumstance it would have been easy to let the loneliness cripple her. Instead she did the bravest thing one could do. Even if she would never benefit, she became an advocate for rare cancer research so others would not be faced with the hopelessness of not having treatment options. If there is one thing I learned from Gabe’s story, it is the necessity for humans to help one another. As I have shared my story with friends, family, and my community, I have benefitted in a big way from the support I have received. As a result of this support and Gabe’s story I have asked myself, how can I play a role in helping others? My answer: create awareness of the bone marrow donor registry.
A critical step in my treatment plan is to receive a bone marrow transplant. This means that all my bone marrow will be killed through chemotherapy and new bone marrow from a donor will be introduced. This procedure comes with risks, including rejection of the new bone marrow, graft vs host disease and infection. To minimize these risks doctors search the registry for a 10/10 match. I do not have a perfect match and unfortunately do not have this option. The added security of having a perfect match helps to improve hope and reduce the fear of undergoing this procedure. A 10/10 match is an added security I would wish upon anyone else who is going through this treatment so I am encouraging as many people as possible to apply to the registry. It is a simple process. To apply you can visit bethematch.org and click on “join the registry”. You will answer some questions about yourself and your medical history. A kit will then be sent to you in the mail and you will swab the inside of your cheeks and mail the kit back. If you are a match you could make a big difference for someone who is facing one of the scariest moments of their life. With Gabe as my inspiration, I will continue to find ways to help others who are faced with unfortunate diagnoses.”
What does being #BraveLikeLandon mean to you?
“#BraveLikeLandon means not surrendering to my diagnosis. A serious diagnosis and the resulting treatments can feel all consuming. I have made an effort for the meaningful and fulfilling parts of my life to remain dominant. For me this means continuing to create artwork and making time to get outside. I still make plans with friends and continue to find humor in all situations, including my experience with cancer. I am serious about managing my health and my cancer treatments, but when my appointments are done I focus on being me and doing the things I love.”
Landon creates beautiful fine art pieces and is a Pennsylvania certified art educator, visit peacockstudiodesign.com to read more.