When I was 25 years old, I started my new, dream job as a health and physical education teacher. Six days into the school year, I went for a CT scan after months of complications with my breathing. I got the results later that day while I was on my lunch break.
The doctors had found a 10.5 cm tumor sitting in my chest and just millimeters away from cutting off blood circulation to my brain. I was told to rush to the ER but not to panic. Well of course I panicked, and left work in shock. I went to Rhode Island Hospital and was immediately admitted.
After six days of scans, blood work, and meeting what felt like every doctor in the hospital, I was diagnosed as having large B- cell, medialstinal, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, stage 2 cancer. This was the most terrifying news I had ever heard, and thought I would be living my last days in the hospital.
Thankfully, R.I.H. had amazing oncology doctors and I was put on an aggressive chemo regimen. Five months later, 42 days in the hospital, over 40 bags of infusions and too many blood tests to count, and 7 PET scans, my tumor had shrunk to dead cells the size of a quarter.
Next week I will be two years in remission!