Lipi, Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma

My journey started with facial swelling. At first, I was told it was probably a food allergy. I went to urgent care and the ER multiple times because the swelling kept coming back, and I knew something was not right. I was 26 years old, otherwise healthy, and cancer was honestly the last thing I thought could be happening to me. Finally, one doctor decided to do a chest X-ray, and that’s when they found a mass in my chest.

Everything happened very quickly after that. A CT scan showed the mass, along with fluid around my right lung and around my heart. I was diagnosed with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma at a small city hospital. I remember the doctors and staff saying how young I was to be going through something like this. I was scared and overwhelmed, but the staff there was amazing. They took such good care of me during a time when my family and I were still trying to understand how my life had changed so suddenly.

My parents immediately flew in to be with me, and my in-laws came too. My fiancé, Priyansh, was there through every single step, and I honestly cannot imagine going through this without him. My aunt Meera, my cousin Kavit, and my best friend Nishi were also there during those first overwhelming days of my diagnosis, fluid removal procedures, and my first round of chemotherapy. Those first few days were probably some of the scariest days of my life, and having the people I loved around me made more of a difference than I can put into words.

The fluid around my lung was removed through a thoracentesis, and the fluid around my heart was removed through a pericardiocentesis. I also had a PICC line placed and started DA-R-EPOCH. I completed six rounds of chemotherapy.

Treatment was hard. The nausea was difficult, the mouth ulcers were sometimes so painful that even eating became challenging, and the bone pain was something I had never experienced before. My blood counts, especially my white blood cell count, would drop very low, and I ended up back in the hospital after almost every round because of neutropenic fevers and other complications. There were transfusions, medications, blood tests, hospital stays, and so many days where my only goal was to make it through that day.

I learned during those months that strength does not always mean being positive or brave. Some days I cried. Some days I was scared. Some days I was simply exhausted. And on those days, the people around me carried me.

I was also incredibly fortunate to have support beyond my family and friends. My manager Ethan and my company were very supportive throughout my treatment, giving me the understanding and flexibility I needed during such a difficult time. I will always be grateful for that kindness.

After six rounds, I finally received the news I had been waiting and praying for. My PET scan showed a Deauville score of 1 with no evidence of residual FDG-avid lymphoma. I was in remission.

Ringing the bell was emotional because it represented so much more than finishing chemotherapy. It represented every hospital stay, every difficult night, every tear, every person who sat beside me, and every time I had to tell myself to keep going.

Being in remission is an amazing feeling, but I have also learned that cancer does not completely leave your mind when treatment ends. I still have anxiety sometimes. A random pain or an upcoming scan can bring back memories and fear, and I am still learning to trust my body again. Recovery is a journey of its own.

But this experience has also changed me in ways I never expected. I feel stronger, but more importantly, I feel incredibly grateful for life. I appreciate ordinary days differently now. Being able to work, travel, spend time with the people I love, make plans for the future, and simply wake up feeling well are things I do not take for granted anymore.

I will always be grateful to my parents, my in-laws, Priyansh, my aunt Meera, Vatsal and their family, my cousin Kavit and his wife, Nishi, Harsheet, and all my close friends, my doctors and nurses, and everyone who stood beside me through those six months. To all my other friends and family who visited me, called, sent messages, prayed for me, brought me food, made me laugh, or simply checked in to make sure I was okay, I truly appreciate every one of you. I may not be able to mention everyone by name, but I remember the love and support I received.

One of the biggest things this journey taught me is to listen to your body and advocate for yourself. I was told more than once that my symptoms could be something simple, but I knew something did not feel right. Keep asking questions when you need answers.

And if someone who has just been diagnosed is reading this, I want you to know that you do not have to be strong every single day. Take it one day at a time. Let people help you. Let yourself have the difficult days too. There were moments when six rounds of chemotherapy felt impossibly far away, and now I am on the other side of them.

Cancer became a chapter of my life that I never chose, but it also showed me just how much love surrounded me and how precious life really is. Today, I am grateful to be here, grateful for the people who carried me through it, and hopeful for everything that comes next.

And now, I want to use my experience to help others going through something similar. If my story can bring even a little comfort, strength, or hope to someone facing their own diagnosis, then everything I went through will have even more meaning.