The purpose of my blog is to use it as a way to keep family and friends updated with my diagnosis and current battle against Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and also to help anyone else who might be in my shoes and feeling alone and scared of what lies ahead of them. I hope that those people can find some good information and answers to many of the same questions that I had. I have always considered myself to be a "healthy" person and would never have imagined that I could have something as life-changing as CANCER...especially at the age of 25.
Always follow your gut instinct...if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.
At the end of February 2014, I noticed a small swelling in my neck- right between when my left and right collarbones met. It was about the size of a marble and I could feel it easily with my fingers. I was extremely busy at work and finding time to go to the Doctor was not on my list of priorities, it wasn't painful and I was feeling absolutely fine so it would just have to wait...
Within a few days (literally three) it had grown in size and I could see it in the mirror. I made an appointment with a GP who wasn't my family Doctor and after seeing her I was completely convinced that I has a thyroid problem as the swelling was exactly where my thyroid should have been situated. I had a quick blood test and rushed back to work to get back on track. I didn't think much about my lump as work was chaotic and as I said previously, it wasn't painful. In the days that followed I found it more and more difficult to swallow, it constantly felt like I had a pill stuck in my throat. My blood tests came back normal which was strange but I went for an ultrasound which revealed small nodules in my neck and after seeing a specialist, I was booked in for a Thyroidectomy (removal of the thyroid).
I celebrated my 25th birthday with my special family at The Oyster Box in Umhlanga, my thyroidectomy was scheduled for two days later. At the time, my biggest worry was the hideous scar that I would be left with on my neck.. I had ABSOLUTELY no idea what lay ahead.
My last glass of champagne for a while!
Birthday girl
Special family tea
Those of you that know me will know that I have always been very active and have always lived a healthy lifestyle. When I was diagnosed I was running most mornings before work and was relatively fit, Gav (my incredible fiancé) is a Biokineticist, so health and fitness play a big role in our lives, we are both non-smokers and are only occasional drinkers. We eat well and a cheat meal in our house consists of a wrap and smoothie from Kauai! The only unhealthy part of lives that we would say existed was work related stress. I was exactly the "ideal'' candidate for Cancer right?!
When the surgeon opened me up on the 10th of March 2014, my thyroid was actually pushed right to the back of my throat (causing that "stuck pill" feeling) and the marble sized lump was a mass of Lymphoma tissue. The operation was supposed to be a quick routine op lasting no longer than half an hour. I was under anaesthetic for 3.5 hours as the surgeon battled to remove the mass, it had attached itself to many nerves, ligaments and to my thyroid. The tissue was sent off to be tested and a few days later I was told that I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma - a form of lymph node cancer.
I often get asked what my symptoms were, I can honestly say that there were no symptoms other than the small lump in my neck. I was tired but that's what happens when you work in a fast paced, highly stressful industry, six days a week! These days every person you speak to is tired and stressed so I still wouldn't count these as "symptoms".
Hodgkin's Lymphoma is also known as Hodgkin's disease and is a type of lymphoma, a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are part of the immune system.
Because lymphoid tissue is in many parts of the body, Hodgkin disease can start almost anywhere. Most often it starts in lymph nodes in the upper part of the body - the most common sites are in the chest, in the neck, or under the arms. It spreads fairly quickly from lymph node to lymph node if left untreated and is a very aggressive form of cancer. I was diagnosed with Stage II Hodgkin's which means that the cancer has spread to two different sites - my neck and deep in my chest. I am so grateful that my little lump popped up in my neck as early as I did, the majority of patients only find lumps after the disease has run rampant through their bodies which is too late to treat effectively and often by then the option for total remission is non-existent. The most common age groups to be affected by Hodgkin's are 16 - 26 year olds and 75+ year olds, pity I just managed to squeeze in ;)
A picture of my not-so-beautiful scar about a week post-op
And so began a tough little journey! I am now almost 9 months down the line and it definitely hasn't gotten any easier. Just taking it ''one hour at a time" - as my special friend, Courtney, would say.
xxx
