Welcome to my CaringBridge website. I am using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. Karl, Matthew and I appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
The basics: On October 4, I found a lump on the right side of my neck. I went to the doctor the very next day and after many more appointments and tests, on October 28, I was officially diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma - Classic Nodular Sclerosis - Stage 2A. Staging is slightly different with Lymphoma and the 2 refers to 2 regions above my diaphragm and the A means "non-symptomatic." So this is a good thing, it is early and it is very treatable. It also means I do not have any of the typical side effects of fevers, night sweats, fatigue, weight loss, or low white blood cell count. But it is scary that my only sign was the lump. To learn what about Hodgkin's Lymphoma, click here.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/hodgkindisease/detailedguide/hodgkin-disease-what-is-hodgkin-disease. (
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/hodgkindisease/detailedguide/hodgkin-disease-what-is-hodgkin-disease.)
The good news? It is has a 98% cure rate! For this I am extremely grateful. However, I do have chemo and most likely radiation to go through in the next 4-6 months which I am not looking forward to of course. But I don't have a choice and I plan to kick it's butt!
Many people have been asking how I am doing, so I figured it would be easier to use this site for updates. Thanks for everyone's support. It has been truly overwhelming.
