recently diagnosed

I’m 21 years old and was diagnosed with stage 2B Hodgkins lymphoma about 8 months ago. I was suppose to receive typical treatment, the ABVD “chemo cocktail,” but due to a lung deficiency I only received the drugs AVD which has decreased my chances of a cure. I had chemo for four months and afterwards, radiation for one month. I went back to school two days after my last treatment, and am feeling great. Even with receiving only three of the needed four drugs, my oncologists are extremely confident I won’t relapse. You probably (and hopefully) will not have complications as I had pertaining to my lungs which is great news. You’ll get the standard treatment and have a much better chance of a cure.

I’m sure you’re oncologists have informed you that Hodgkins is the most curable form of cancer. Many associate the word ‘cancer’ with death, but this association is misjudged. Especially for us Hodgkin’s patients, it’s important to recognize that yes, we did get cancer, at way too young of an age, but also, that it’s Hodgkins–it’s not terminal. Treatment was not as rough as expected. The more I exercised and kept moving, the better I would feel. Many think laying on the couch and resting would help me feel better, but this only exacerbated the illness. Moving, if it’s something as getting out for a walk, riding a bike, or on your great days a light jog. My chemo was administered once every two weeks so I had time to recover. Hang in there, although it might not feel like it now, it will be ok. And when the microscopic war is over, you’ll have an amazing story to tell and a new outlook on life at the young age of 16. It’s one of the gifts that cancer bears. If you have any questions, I’d be more than happy to try to answer them for you.

Hi, my name is Cassidy. I just turned 15 last August. I personally do not have any form of cancer but every woman in my family has had a family history of breast cancer over the age of 50, so it might strike me when I’m older. I am very afraid I would get it… I’m not a very lucky person. It’s kind of like picking whether it is fate or destiny who chooses these things. I was born into my problems, but I take every day as a new beginning. Don’t be afraid. I would love to hear about how you cope with things and how your recovery process is.

I am currently in the process of conducting several interviews with different teens who have multiple types of cancers. I read your post and thought it was so nice that this blog would give cancer patients a chance to voice their opinions. My email is cassidykotyla@gmail.com. If you ever want to talk or help me tell others how important people like you are, please contact me. I’m only an e-mail away.

Have a great day!