Well, obviously I carried this disease with me at least a year before I was diagnosed with it. The earliest signs that I remember was swelling under my arms on both sides, actually one side first then eventually both over a short period of time. I couldnt lay on my side in bed sometimes it was so swollen, would hurt pretty bad. I didnt think much of it at the time, didnt get it looked at and I really dont have a good excuse why I didn't...just didn't. That was the only symptoms I noticed at first.
In April, 2001...I had to go to ER at Hurley Hospital beacuse I had a very sharp purtruding pain in my side. Could not lay down or anything. There is a name for this, it's called "Plueral Effusion"...fluid was found on the outside of one of my lungs. Anyway, the hospital got it under control and shrunk the fluid. Funny that nothing was found at this time of what was to come.
January-April, 2002 the signs started to really kick in. I was always tired, wore out and was becoming really pale. Then I couldn't even hardly breathe anymore walking to my car and other places. Had a terrible cough that would not quit as well. Then the pains under my arms were coming back again...swelled up like golf balls, so my mom and sister suggested I go to the family doctor and get looked at. The doctor looked at me and sent me over to get some cat scans done of my chest, stomach and pelvic area. Everyone kept thinking it was something little like a bad chest cold or something(My mom wished anyway)...no one was ready to hear what was about to happen next....
It wasn't very long after the cat scans I got called right away into the doctor's office for some important news. I was scared of course, my mom came with me too for support. The scan's showed all my lymph nodes in my chest area were enlarged as my spleen was slightly enlarged as well. The function of a "lymph-node" is something that is bean-shaped and found throughout the body. It is part of the Immune system and filters the blood system for viruses and diseases and what not. The spleen is also part of this as well. Anyhow, they had their own diagnosis and it was wriiten in terms I couldn't understand. My mom being a nurse for 25 years understood and was devastated by the terms, and couldn't believe it. Possible Lymphoma...a blood cancer. So my family doctor set me up with a oncologist. Afterwards, I was sent over to McLaren for a Biopsy into my chest for a sample of Lymph Node to study. That was a painful process and the results came back inconclusive, not enough sample tissue. So I had to go back for a second Biopsy to take a entire lymph node out. On Mother's day, May 10th, 2002 at the Cancer Clinic I was told I had Hodgkin's Disease Lymphoma Stage III(involving both sides of the body)There are 4 stages.
I had to get a bone marrow biopsy done as well to determine if the cancer spread to my bones, thankfully it did not. The oncologist set me up for chemotherapy to begin May 13th. The night before, I had painless lumps in my chest area, could hardly breathe and my neck was painlessly swollen up. I would have died not too much longer, I was treated I believe just in time. It all just went haywire at that exact moment in time...prety weird. The morning of my first chemo I had a "Pass-Port" inserted into my upper left arm. Its a device shaped like a "figure eight" that is accessed for chemo treatments to save on the wear and tear of veins. I've had 9 chemo treatments as of Sept. 9th and i've handled them all pretty well. Just light nausea and tiredness, that's all. I had to have my old port taken out in August and another one put in my right arm beacuse the other one began to make my hand puff up and swell. The doctor ordered 12 chemos and I should be done with them by the end of October. I believe I have some radiation I have to do too but I've heard thats not too bad. Keep this page updated for new information.
My scans came back with significant progress, the cancer is almost gone.
I have 1 chemo treatment left scheduled in 2 days, then that will be 12 chemo treatments I had over a period of 5 and a half months. I went to see the radiologist last week for some radiation treatments I have to do next which start Nov. 13th. Those will supposedley be a little easier than the chemo treatments and only last about a month or so. I'll update as time comes. The cancer seems to have stopped and the treatments a success:-)
I finished the chemo's Oct 21st. Since then I had to do my 2nd Gallium scan and also had a Muga(heart scan) done, everything there was fine. Dec 9th, I had my first radiation visit...had to have a "simulation" done and a plan was done for my upcoming radiation treatments. I start the actual radiation next week. Everything is looking good.
Been doing radiation treatments since Dec 19th, next Wed. Jan. 15th I may be done with them completely, and done with all the treatments. My left hand where my first port was is still giving me minor problems. It still puffs up and tightens...I may have to have surgery eventually to take the scar tissue out thats in the arm, hopefully not, but if i have to i'll have to.
I finished treatments.
2 years and 2 months Cancer free.
Almost 3 years and still Cancer free. Just the usual 6 months to 1 year checkups.