ChristineT's Journey with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL)

I went to three different doctors in two states, and all three told me that the symptoms I was describing were nothing to worry about and, more importantly, nonexistent. I had to beg the last doctor to request an MRI for me, and he laughed and said he would but it was a waste of money. Meanwhile, I could tell that whatever was in my throat was getting worse.

The MRI scan showed a massive tumor in my throat, and a surgeon let me make an emergency appointment with him. He diagnosed me within 2 seconds and that night I was prepping for surgery.

The tumor was so large that I could not be put to sleep until the tracheotomy was finished. Once that was done, they put me to sleep and de-bulked the tumor. The tumor was the size of a tennis ball.

The implant of the port was the easiest procedure by far! I was awake during it, and the surgeon implanting it was making me laugh the entire time.

Because my cancer was so aggressive, the chemotherapy had to be equally aggressive. Every 21 days I moved into the hospital for a week for the chemo. Staying in the hospital sucked, but the nurses were amazing and I had the best care 24/day.