Hi there. My name is Megan. I am a 21 year old cancer survivor. I caught it somwhere in 2007 but I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in November 07. I battled it for about 8 months and recently won. There are more of us out there. Thanks to modern medicine and a more positive attitude towards the damn disease. I did not create this blog knowing that this was the new trend. I've kind of just picked up on that. But it should be. Cancer sucks.. It could possibly be one of the hardest things to get through.. But you get through. You come out stronger than you have ever been- and Sometimes you need to hear or read other stories for comfort. Maybe even for strength to go on.. whatever it is- I want to form an alliance of young and cancerous adults to make a change. I was recently schooled on the statistics of 'contracting cancer.' Every 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men will get cancer. That is absolutely ridiculous and we shouldnt stand for it any longer. Processes need to change. There has to be more research, more funding for research and more education on cancer PREVENTION! If you haven't realized it by now but almost everything causes cancer. So why isn't anything changing?
I want to share with you a bit of my story.. Hoping it will get some of you who stumble across this blog to send me your stories. It is important that we bridge the gap of having a 'cancer forum' of reactions, side effects, emotional issues.. I want it all. I know that there are tons of types of cancer. I was told my cancer was "easy to treat" - But it did not feel easy to me. I also know that there are people who are not able to "blog about it" afterwards. And those are the people Im sitting here for. So please email me at:
YoungandCancerous@yahoo.com
Now a little bit about my story..
Let's start with my 21st birthday. I was sick that weekend with what I thought was a cold or flu. I overdosed on vitamin C and headed out to celebrate. Later that week I was really starting to feel crummy. I was getting sick alot that year. I had just found a job (which I won't name bc I don't want to get sued) that I absolutely loved.. and I was calling in all of the time. Colds, flus.. or what I thought were colds and flus. I had quickly run out of sick time. Then after my birthday I started to notice a swollen gland on the right side of my neck. I figured it to be an infection and put off seeing a doctor until I could get off. I had shown my supervisor, at the time, my swollen neck and he told me about F.M.L.A. It is a health leave for employees over a year with the company that you can take for a list of reasons. On this list they had everything from IBS to depression. So I knew I had to wait until my year anniversary with "__the company whom I will not name__" to go see my doctor. I figured if it had gotten bad I would just go to the emergency room. But nothing changed. I thought I had felt fine. So come November I go to see an MD at a local clinic. He immediately reads off a very short list of reasons why I would have a 3 month old swollen lymph gland. I heard Lymphoma. That's all I remember coming out of his mouth. The same day he sent me to an ENT specialist. (Ear Nose and Throat doctor) We will call him ENT#1. ENT#1 sent me for a head and neck Xray the next morning. After the Xray I was in the dressing room getting back into my jeans and shirt when a nurse runs in and asks me if I could get back into my gown. She explains that my Xray came out a little cloudy and ENT#1 had asked them to do an MRI. I had an idea that something had to be wrong but I tried to remain positive. The next couple days I don't remember. I just remember the phonecall from the doc. Now what Im about to share with you will be in a future post. But my story wouldn't make sense without it. ENT#1 said:
(HIS EXACT WORDS) "Honey Im looking at your tests and I just don't like what Im seeing."
My first reaction: WHAT THE F***?!?!?!
(in my mind of course.. Im a lady!)
Who says that? What kind of doctor starts off bad news with a phrase like that? I knew what was coming. Believe me, he got his point across- but damn. There is a little thing called 'Bedside Manner' and this dude just did not have it. I was so frustrated with his attitude the bad news wasn't really sinking in until he said 'Non Hodgkins Lymphoma' I shut down immediately. It is amazing how your body will turn off when it needs to. A kind of protection I didn't know I needed at the moment. While I was off in wonderland for the next couple of seconds- the doctor had gotten a couple of choice words from my mother. He was on speakerphone the entire time and my mom is a well seasoned nurse. She knew there was no possible way he could know whether I had Hodgkins or Non Hodgkins Lymphoma without a biopsy- So she didn't think it was right of him to diagnose me like that. Well he obviously had a busy day because he then gave my mother a number for another ENT for a second opninion and hung up the phone. Mmmm Hmmm. He hung up the phone. Bye Bye ENT#1. Hello ENT#2!! This doctor was amazing! I guess I encountered Mr. Evil ENT#1 just to meet this one. I believe everything happens for a reason. But anyways, he was polite, patient and took his time explaining everything to my mother and I. He did a needle biopsy in his office and a couple more blood tests and sent me home a little more comforted.
Waiting for the intial results.. a cancer 'Yeh' or 'Neh' if you will- was agonizing. I was emotional and positive all at the same time. When the doctor finally called he asked if I wanted to come in to hear the results and I told him just to tell me over the phone. (But at least he asked) He went on to tell me Hodgkins Lymphoma and how it was a "great kind of cancer to get if you're going to get cancer" AH.. The things some doctors will say to try and comfort you..
He referred me to an oncologist (cancer doctor). Now this guy is worth writing about. He reminded me of a nutty professor. He spoke quickly and with an accent. I can't place where he's from but it was almost german-ish. He had glasses and fuzzy grayish hair popping off of his head. His shirt was always untucked and he ran around his office like a chicken without a head. But he was smart, super-cautious, and had an excellent track record with head and neck cancers. So I was sold. My mom laughed when she met him. She didn't believe my description I guess. You know us youths today- always over exaggerating. =)
I cried alot the first couple days. It was sporatic and wouldn't last very long. I would break down. realize I was breaking down and stop myself. It was alot to take in. I am 21 and I have to go through chemotherapy and radiation for a disease that can kill me. And on top of that I was faced with more wonderful news. Being that my cancer docter was very cautious he wanted me to see a fertility doctor about harvesting eggs. He explained to me that I did have a chance after treatment of not being able to conceive and have a baby. This I'm sure everyone has been told that has gone through treatments.
Now guys- when you freeze your swimmers you have a great chance of being able to conceive in the future. But as for eggs- The fertility specialists explained to me that there was a 10% chance of a baby with each egg. But if they had an embryo (swimmer + egg = embyro = frozen baby) I would have a 30% chance of conceiving with each embryo. And they would usually try with two embryos to increase your chance to 60%. So to sum up : In two weeks time I was told I had cancer and my boyfriend of 3 years and I had to decide whether we wanted to have children. Basically--A bit much to take in. But my boyfriend is amazing. He signed away his dna for me in a heartbeat and I was onto hormone self injections. I want to get more in detail about this treatments but I will leave it for another post. I want to gather others experiences as well.
So i was onto 'The Pre Tests' Among all of the bloodwork, MRIs, Xrays, Biopsys etc. I had to do heart scans, and a bone marrow test. The MRIs are not that bad if you can relax. The heart scan was interesting. You can actually see your heart pumping. It was quite entertaining. But as for the Bone Marrow test.. YIKES. Ok- it hurts. But not in the way you would think it hurts. My cancer doctor had me on 2 perkecets, 1 xanax and actually double dosed the numbing shots they put around the area and into the spine. The intial needle- and I was ok. But sometimes if you have strong bones =) they have to rub or shake or whatever he was doing back there. Well- thats what hurt. I wasnt in crying or in screaming pain.. It was just a quiet little "muthafucker" out of my mouth and then he was done. My cancer doctors assistant was hysterical. She looks and sounds like Wyanda Sykes- So I was being distracted, loopy from drugs, and trying not to think about it. I would suggest to do the same.
Biopsy #2 was a surgical procedure. 'Out Patient Surgery' is when you have whatever you're getting done- and get to go home. It was like a little surgical factory. They had a locker room where you put your stuff down and got into your gown and booties. You then enter a room with a bunch of beds in a row with curtains seperating them. The nurses take your blood pressure, temperature etc etc. And you're hooked up to an IV drip. You see your doctor, are taken into the surgery room and night night. Thats it. A piece of cake. I did this twice. Once for the second biopsy and again for the installation of the port.
GET A PORT! If you have the option which most of you will or have. They will check your veins and let you know whether you would need one or not. But I would suggest asking for one anyways. They cut your treatment time in half!!!
Well- I believe Im just writing away- So Im going to cut myself off.
I will get more into details in future posts. But I really want to hear from you. Please email me at YOUNGANDCANCEROUS@YAHOO.COM
Thank you for reading- and I hope you can check back often.
Stay Strong. -Megan
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