Inspirational Stories

Hello! My name is Katherine and I was diagnosed in January 2020 with stage IV classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. My diagnosis came after months of fatigue and diffuse body pain. Initially I was evaluated for lupus or RA, but those diagnoses didn't quite fit. After discussing with my PCP again and noting a persistent cough, a CT and PET-CT showed diffuse lymphadenopathy and lesions on my liver and spleen.

Shortly after diagnosis I started treatment in a clinical trial with AVD+Opdivo. The research question of the trial is to evaluate the use of Opdivo, already approved for use in relapse, as an upfront treatment. I was excited to take part in the trial because I am a Clinical Scientist by profession. My day job involves designing and running clinical trials in rare disease.

I am 5 months into a 6 month treatment plan and doing well. My blood counts are back to normal and an interim PET-CT scan showed dramatic improvement. My cancer journey has been an unexpected (and unwanted!) adventure. There have been a lot of down days and compromises. I have had to learn to be patient. But there have also been many silver linings. My family and friends have been there with unlimited support. I've met some amazing people on my care team. And I've learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of.