Sticky

I could not think of a gentler way to put the title of the thread but still be as clear as possible.

I would like this thread to be a place where TFP members can discuss their personal experiences before, during, and hopefully after.

I don't want this to be the place where other members come by to give their well wishes. I would rather this not be a thread of second hand accounts but I do understand that some second hand accounts may be helpful to hear. The issue with the second hand accounts is they can't really convey as well what things are really like for the person going through it as a first hand account can.

I am really hoping that this thread will be a place where we share our first hand expereinces so that those of us going through it can get a better idea of what a certain type of test feels like, some questions to ask their doctors, and/or of what treatment is like.

I have not seen a similar thread so I decided to create it.


So, I was just diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.
I found a lump on my neck a few weeks ago. I went to see a friend of mine who is a doctor (GP) and is actually partners with my doctor at a clinic. (my friend is not my doctor because for some things it may not have been comfortable). Anyway he saw me late one night at his clinic and spent a an hour and a half talking to me about it. Him and his partner (my doctor) then did what ever they could to get things moving and make things happen as fast as possible.
Waiting for a diagnosis is tough - you mind starts imagining all the possibilities and you can't think of anything else - so they wanted to help get to that point as fast a possible.

They scheduled me for an ultrasound of my neck for the next day at a radiologie clinic. My friend, the doctor, showed up at the clinic to be with me and meet with the radiologist - that was so nice.
The radiologist suggested a chest x-ray as well - so we did that on the spot.
The x-ray was clear but the ultrasound showed multiple nodes in my neck.

The next step was to get an appointment with a Head and Neck specialist and have a biopsy done. My friend and my doctor called around the hospital they sometimes work in and got me in to see the head and neck resident for a needle biopsy.

My sister is also good friends with the best head and Neck surgeon in the city so, a few other tests, an open biopsy, and a few weeks later I found out I have Hodgkins.
After finding the lump this is the diagnosis I was supposed to hope for - as if anyone would want to hope for that. This is the best diagnosis out of all the possible diagnoses. Hodgkins is highly treatable and most (somewhere in the 90%) people recover.

We are now working on the staging to figure out how far along I am. This will help determine what the treatment should be and how long it should be.
The fact that I did not present with any other symptoms and I am otherwise a very healthy adult in my lower 30s is a good indicator.

I would be glad to answer any questions anyone has about any tests/scans I have done and what they feel like or how I feel going through this if it will help you cope with something you are dealing with.

I will likely have questions for others about their expereinces so that I have a better idea of what to expect.

I hope that there are no others here on TFP going through something similar but if there are then maybe this could be a good place for discussion.

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Sticky The Stickman