Inspirational Stories

On February 6, 2023, I was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). However, my story starts months before that. I was attending my sophomore year of college at my university when I started experiencing symptoms I did not understand or put together. I started experiencing extreme exhaustion, I was dropping weight very fast, and I was always lightheaded. I decided to come home only three weeks into my spring semester because I couldn’t keep up my course load with how bad I was feeling. After seeing an ENT doctor who felt around my neck and under my arms, they immediately wheeled me down to the hospital's ER where I spent the day getting scans, and labs, and ended up needing an emergency blood transfusion because my hemoglobin was extremely low. After my scans, a doctor came to my room, and this was the first time I had ever heard the word “lymphoma.” I spent the next week in the hospital, and the process got really fast from there.

On day two I was diagnosed with HL, on day four I got my chest port put in, and on day five I had my first of eight rounds of chemo treatment. Though this process has been rough, my family and caregivers have been by me through it all. I found a true community in survivors who gave me comfort that the bad times wouldn’t always be bad.

After many treatments, PET scans, and prayers, I rang the bell on May 18, 2023, to signify my end of chemo. I got to attend a Relay for Life event in June 2023 and participate in all of the survivor events that gave me the feeling of community.

I think it is so important what The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is doing to not only raise awareness but give support tools for those affected by this disease. If anyone was like me, I had never heard of HL and did not know what the signs were that my body needed help. It is easy to put off your symptoms to lack of sleep, a busy life, or stress. Know the signs, get help, and stay healthy! I am so incredibly lucky to have resources to aid me today, as well as my caregivers who stood by me every day.