In the Summer of 2007 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This is a cancer of the lymphatic system. The diagnosis had been running for a few months and had involved blood tests, ultra sound scans, CT scans and finally a biospy.
At the time i was aged 25 years old and had not felt unwell in anyway. Following the diagnosis i went through 6 months worth of treatment comprising of 4 28-day cycles of ABVD chemotherapy and 18 sessions of involved field radiotherapy.
In January 2008 a post-chemotherapy scan showed no sign of the illness.
Hodgkin's Lymphoma is most common in those aged over 65 and also, interestingly, those aged 15-25. It is one of the most common cancers to affect young people.
To document the treatment process along with my thoughts and feelings i created a blog to act as my Lymphoma Diary. It helped people stay in touch with me during treatment and now i hope it will be a valuable resource to others facing something like this themselves. |