My Story

 When I left school and headed to yoga at the end of a relatively ordinary day on April eighth, I had no idea the detour my life would take over the next several weeks. 

 A few weeks prior, I had been suffering from stomach aches-- nothing horrible; it was as if I had done too many sit-ups (and I knew that wasn't the case). I wondered if I had an ulcer, but the stomach aches weren't awful and I wasn't too concerned. By the end of March, when the pain began worsen, I made an appointment with my doctor. At that point, a bump appeared on my neck-- I suspected it was only a swollen gland, in spite of having had a flu shot.

 When I went to see the doctor, she thought my symptoms were "quirky" and suggested we keep an eye on things.  When I returned ten days later, the stomach pains had peaked and the swelling on my neck was considerably more noticeable. Visiting the doctor that day, I thought I misheard when she said: "I think you have lymphoma."

--DETOUR--

Somehow, we made it through Easter weekend and the following week was consumed with visits to specialists including an outstanding surgeon and an exceptionally talented oncologist. Under the care these doctors and others, I was flung into a variety of procedures: heart scans, cat scans, bone marrow and neck biopsies, a small operation to place a port in my chest for blood work and chemotherapy, and finally a pet scan to determine the extent of the lymphoma.

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The following week was spent buying wigs, going to "chemo school" sorting out the business of having cancer while dealing with a flood of emotions, and also beginning my first session of chemotherapy.