The story begins with this: I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease at 22 years old, just five weeks after I graduated with my master's degree from Columbia University. While I was basking in my achievement and beginning my job search, I noticed a lump growing under my collar bone.
At 22 years old, the last thing I was thinking about was getting cancer. Instead, I was thinking about paying off my college loans, finding a place to live, and where I was going to begin my career. I was offered my dream job the same day I was diagnosed, which was just three days before my lease expired. But the universe presented me with yet another challenge: the melon-sized tumor (which I have named Alice) growing in my left chest cavity. Suddenly "killing Alice" was added to my list of priorities. Starting a new job, moving, and tackling cancer all while living alone in New York City? If that's not a swift kick in the ass, I don't know what is!
I'm a young person trying to start and live a normal life while still juggling my health, getting chemo treatments, and deciding what medications I need to take in order to get through each day without completely feeling like crap. It's tough, but I've learned it's doable with a positive attitude.
Truth is, I've never met anyone who has had Hodgkin's Disease, especially not someone my age. While I have an incredible support system with my family and friends - many who know someone who has survived some sort of cancer - it's still a lonely journey. No one really knows what it's like except for those who have really traveled the road.
So if this blog could serve just one purpose, I'd like to use it as a way to reach other young people going through chemotherapy, to let them know that they're not alone. And most of all, I'd like to show everyone that it's possible to stay positive and live a normal life, even though your hair is falling out and you take as much medication as your grandparents. :)
