What should I expect?

Lily,

I am sorry to hear this as I also had Hodgkin’s Lymphona but notice I said HAD. I was diagnosed in 2004 at age 19 and have been cancer free for 6 years so even though mine was only Stage 1/2 there is Hope!

My Doctor’s were very aggressive and put me on ABVD Chemo every other week for 5 months followed by Radiation treatments.

I started my Chemo the First week in September, by my second treatment my hair was already failing out. I had hair down to the middle of my back and had to cut it to just between chin and shoulder length. I was ok for a while but eventually I wore nothing but a skull cap to hide how bad it was. (thank god it was winter!) Finally made my mom shave me head b/c I couldn’t handle seeing the large clumps fall out. (on a postive note, I never had to shave my armpits or legs and I never lost my eyebrows)

By halfway through treatment I was throwing up as soon at the medicine hit me. I could barely eat and if I did it was peas and rice (I don’t know why but that’s all I would eat). Everything tasted funny and my mouth was like one big sore inside.

I slept a lot, and my mom always said that my skin felt like it was on fire even though I was always freezing. I felt ok on off weeks for the most part just VERY tired. Then it progressed and by my what was supposed to be my last chemo treatment and they wanted to give me more, I thought I was dying. I felt like doing nothing at all.

Then after a couple of weeks off to re-coupe, radiation started. Radiation was different. I never got physically sick but my neck turned almost black because it burns your skin(not in a hurting kind of way, more like a REALLY dark tan) and my hair that was finally coming back…started to fall out at the base of neck neck where they were radiating..not really a motivational booster. And the tiredness. I really can’t describe how tired you will feel and you won’t even realize what it is.

It’s everything they tell you but nothing can describe it until you expreisnce it yourself. Just remember, you are not alone..even thoguh you will feel that way. I have a fried her mother has cancer and when we found out she said tha to me and it’s so true: “Honey, they will keep giving you medicine until you want to give up and you think yo uare going to die…then they bring you back to life” So yes, not sugaring anything, it is HELL, but i have faith that you will survive!