June 15, 2011 – One year ago today, I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. It was an interesting day. It started with a CT scan, then a phone call from the doctor. After that I remember about 20 minutes of peace and quiet sitting a park swing by the lake, and then went went to see an oncologist. After seeing the oncologist we went to get a needle biopsy, and the doctor who did the biopsy let us look at the slides with my cells on them. We saw the Reed Sternberg cells through the microcope, and knew I had cancer.
Jacqui and I had no idea what to do, but we learned quickly about treatment options, the “curability” of Hodgkins, how to deal with lots of doctors’ appts and even more chemo, and most of all, how to deal with insurance companies.
It’s been a wild ride, and though it has had its hard times, we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We want to thank all of you again for your support this past year, which has helped us both tremendously.
When we found out I was going to have chemo, there was an option to use the veins in my arms, or to use a chemo port, which would go straight into my heart. Using my veins carried the risk of burning them out, so Jacqui and I chose for me to get a chemo port, so that my veins would still be healthy when I got old. Because, that is our goal, to grow old together and be happy. That is still our goal, and we’re not going to let cancer, or anything else, get in the way.
We’ve got a CT scan to go to next Monday (June 21), and we’ll find out the results of the CT from the doctor next Thursday (June 24), so we’ll have more news about what my body is doing at that point.
In the meantime, we’re looking forward to many more happy, healthy years with all of you!
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