Justine, Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivor

In March of 2014, at the age of 19, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). I noticed a lump on my neck, as well as one in my armpit. I told my parents about it and continued to monitor the lumps. When they became bigger and seemed to have moved around a bit, since I was a freshman in college, I went to the campus doctor for my initial check-up. At his suggestion, I went to a medical center near school where I had a computed tomography (CT) scan and then a biopsy, which later confirmed a diagnosis of HL.

My family and I didn’t know anything about Hodgkin lymphoma. So, at first, I didn’t realize that I would need to have chemotherapy. I thought I would be given some antibiotics for a few months and be just fine. Even upon leaving the doctor’s office that day, I was not totally convinced that I had cancer. When I told my college roommates about my diagnosis, they were very shocked and upset because they had heard of lymphoma.

My parents and I chose a cancer center that had a good reputation and was close to home. It only helped when my best friend told me about the Four Diamonds program, a program that eliminates the costs for families affected by pediatric cancer, by using funds raised and donated by area high school students and Penn State University students each year. Since I was 19, and treated as a pediatric patient, I was fortunate enough to qualify for the program, and have a consultation that reconfirmed my initial HL diagnosis. Upon seeing the facility, we really didn’t feel the need to look at any other treatment centers. I am so grateful because being a part of this program was one of the biggest blessings that occurred during my diagnosis and treatment.

Having children in the future was a big concern for me. After discussing fertility and treatment options with my healthcare team, we decided my treatment would consist of a six-drug combination-ABVEPC (doxorubicin hydrochloride [Adriamycin], bleomycin [Blenoxane], vincristine sulfate [Oncovin, Vincasar PFS], etoposide [Etopophos, Toposar, Vepesid], prednisone [Deltasone], and cyclophosphamide [Clafen, Cytoxan, Neosar]). This was a modified treatment from the typical four-drug combination—ABVD—and per my doctors, lessened my chances of infertility.

My advice for a newly diagnosed patient is not to let HL change your life in a negative way. While going through my treatment, someone told me that you can be one of three people after you’ve had cancer: 1) you can be someone who ignores it and tries to push it away; 2) you can be someone who lets it destroy you and lets it overcome you with sadness and sorrow; 3) or you can be open about it and who tries to inform the world and help others. I truly strive to be that third person which is why I am so grateful to have discovered the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Through my involvement with the Foundation as an Ambassador and through their wonderful platforms, I can share my story and help other young adults who are going through exactly what I went through. I have enjoyed being a part of the Foundation’s Erase Lymphoma initiative, which is focused on adolescents and young adults. The initiative really takes into consideration what young people go through when dealing with a cancer diagnosis and survivorship after completing treatment.

Having HL has made me view life and the world much differently. I think having HL has made me a more kind and caring person with a more optimistic perspective on life. It’s given me the knowledge and the strength to help others in ways I didn’t know were possible before. It is a part of my everyday life, and God has blessed me and my family many times over because of it.