Inspirational Stories

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in May of 2019. I first noticed something was wrong in January of that year when I noticed lumps in my neck. I shrugged it off, being in college at that time. I progressively got worse, getting sick nearly every day, sweating profusely at night, and losing weight quickly. The tipping point was when I got home from college after the spring semester. I had lost 50 pounds at that point, and my parents quickly took notice and forced me to go to the doctor. After extensive testing and a three-day hospital stay, I was officially diagnosed with stage 4 HL. I began treatment on May 31, 2019. I had 12 sessions of ABVD Chemotherapy. I made great progress, and by July I was nearing remission. On September 23, 2019, I got the call from my oncologist that I was in complete remission. I finished my remaining chemotherapy sessions and got to ring the bell on November 11, 2019. I’m doing well now, and I’m still in complete remission. I wanted to share my story because it is a scary experience, and I’d like to know that telling my story might help someone who is going through a similar situation. You are never alone through those dark days.