Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Hi, my name is Emily. Around December 2020, I started to have issues with walking and holding my arms above my head. Over the next year, things started getting progressively worse while multiple blood tests and MRIs came back negative for any results. In April of 2022, I was sent to a neurologist who did more bloodwork and performed an EMG before finally diagnosing me with a rare autoimmune disease. In October of 2022, I started to get sick again, this time becoming overly nauseous and losing around 10lbs from loss of appetite. Once Thanksgiving came around, I ended up going to the ER for severe stomach pain and fever, where they did a CT scan and noticed my lymph nodes were fairly enlarged, doubling in size from my previous scan four months prior. Immediately following Thanksgiving, I was admitted to the hospital to do an emergency biopsy of my lymph nodes. Less than two weeks later, I sat down with my oncologist who gave me the diagnosis of fast-progressing Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Shortly after, I had surgery to have a chest port placed, my first PET scan, and my first of twelve Chemotherapy sessions over the next six months. I have recently completed my ninth session, and have been admitted to the hospital twice, as well as receiving multiple blood transfusions and medications to help with side effects. After my next three Chemotherapy sessions, I will have another PET scan and hopefully be in remission by early summertime.