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Hodgkin lymphoma?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in Health & Wellbeing
Hi all not posted on here for awhile, but anyway about 2 months ago i woke up in the night and could hardly breathe had serious chest pains etc, so i went to the docs and he told me have a chest x-ray done which i did. The day after the x-ray i got a call from my doctor saying he wanted to see me urgently.

On my way to the doctors i knew something was really wrong and it was he tells me ive got shadows showing up on my x-ray and suspected it was some form on cancer.

As you can imagine my head was wrecked being told i could have cancer at 22! so after that i had to have a biopsy done on my chest on the affected area. A week later i got the results and it was Hodgkin lymphoma (form of cancer in the lymth glands).

Ive got my head together now and accepted it and i start my chemotherapy tomorrow which i aint looking forward to one bit.

just wondered if any one else has had a similar experience with this illness at all?? :confused:

thanks.

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've never had experience of it before but the people I know (not personally) that have had it have survived. Hope it all works out for you *hugs*
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've not had anything like it, but one of my best mates from school was in your position last year.

    She's now half way through her second year at uni and living the standard student life. Chemo really knocked her strength and limited what she could do, but she's bounced back very well since it finished.

    *Hugs*
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Brilliant thats good no know :) it is a really rare form on cancer so hard to find people with similar experiences etc. How did the chemo effect your friend? its losing my hair im most worried about.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't know if your a guy or a girl, not that it makes a lot of difference really.

    She lost a lot of her hair during the course of chemo, not straight away by any means, but over the course a lot fell out and it really thinned out. If it helps at all, hers grew back pretty quickly and thickly after the chemo stopped. Most peoples doesn't go overnight, the change is reasonably gradual so you can adjust to the gradual changes in appearance. I know that doesn't really help, just trying to answer your questions.

    If you want my msn or anything, or just to ask more not on the board then do feel free to pm me.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    One of my good pals was diagnosed with Hodgkin's back when we were 18, I remember how scared he was so right off the bat I wanted to say don't be afraid to lean on any and every source of support and advice you can get - this board and its users included. No one's going to bullshit you into thinking it's going to be a walk in the park, but it's been diagnosed now so you've got your feet on the first rung of the ladder.

    My friend was hit really hard by the chemo, and he did lose pretty much all of his hair. I'm not sure how well-versed you are about the specifics, or even how much you've been told so far - but hair loss and all the other side effects are all dependent on the drug combinations used in your chemo. I'm not sure what his were, but obviously whatever they were caused his hair to fall out. I think it's pretty common. It's definitely a good idea to start coming to terms with this now, though of course it's not a certainty that you'll lose all your hair. It's just that it will come as a shock even if you know it's going to happen, so it's best to be prepared and think about how you're going to react if and when yo do start to lose it. I hope it'll be of some (or a lot of) comfort to you that he has a gorgeous, thick head of hair again less than three years on.

    He was recommended to cut his hair as short as he was willing beforehand, by the way, I'm not sure if that has been suggested to you. He didn't go all that short, but obviously it might help some people to take that step. Oh and cotton rather than nylon pillowcases are recommended where possible; before, during and after treatment.

    Anyway enough pillow/hair talk, all the very, very best for tomorrow. I really hope it all goes as well as can be, please keep us updated on your progress if you can find the time and if you ever need any more support or advice then this is one of many places you'll always find it :)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks for all your replies,ive been very well informed of all the things that could happen during the treatment so nothing will come as a shock when it does happen , i got my hair cut at barbers yesterday had it short so if and when it does come out il just shave the lot off.

    ive got very good support from family and friends etc but all ways nice to have other opinions,just gonna be a hard next 6-8 months.
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