Life Altering Times

Life Altering Times

It was in January when it all started, I was in my second semester of my freshmen year of college. As far as I knew, I had a new physician, and all I had to do was go in to meet him and go for my yearly physical. He introduced himself to me as Dr. Fanti. He talked to me a little bit and proceeded to start my physical. As I was nearing the end of my physical, thinking everything was fine, I was served up a huge helping of surprises. Dr. Fanti informed me that from his experience and what he came across while doing my physical that "I may have an issue."

Dr. Fanti informed me that I had an extremely inflamed and swollen spleen. He had lots of different explanations to offer me but, did not want to infer anything upon me until a further examination was done. He then told me that I needed to go for a CT scan, to get a deeper look into my abdomen. A couple days later I went for my first CT scan, on January 13, 2005 at Baystate Medical Center. Three days later, I went back with my mother to see Dr. Fanti to get the results of my CT scan and talk to him about what my potential "issue" was. When Dr. Fanti informed me of what his best conjecture was about my situation, it brought two things to mind, my faith and my teachings. I had my faith in God that he would get me through whatever the situation was, and I was always taught to never give up, keep my head up, and be an optimist as best as I can in any situation.

After numerous tests and a final examination with several medical experts I was finally informed that my initial issue of a swollen spleen was a diagnosis of Hodgkins Lymphoma. At that moment that same thing came to mind. Yet, this time it was express your feelings in any way that you need to, but fight the strong fight and never ever give up. My mother began to slowly break down as Dr. Fanti continued to explain his understanding of Hodgkins Lymphoma. The next day I went to meet someone who would become a good friend of mine, my Hematologist/Oncologist Dr. Helen Ryan. On that day I began to obtain a better understanding of exactly what the diagnosis that I was given was. I also had a bone marrow biopsy and was informed of the first good news I had heard in a long time. Dr. Ryan told me "the cancer has not reached your bone marrow, it is only in your blood." Not the greatest news, but good enough to give my mom, my dad, and I a second to breathe. She also informed me of one of the things that I really did not want to hear, that almost 90 percent of people that go through chemotherapy loose their hair at one point or another. That day I scheduled something that I will never ever have a good memory of in my entire life, my chemotherapy treatments. That night my parents and I prayed, and began to believe for me that I would not lose my hair and that everything was in God's hands.

At my first chemotherapy session, at the D'Amour Cancer Center, I met another person who would become very much to my likening, Ami my personal nurse. In that first treatment everything was shown to me step-by-step and explained to me very thoroughly. My first few chemotherapy treatments went well, everything ran smoothly, and I left feeling like it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. After my sixth chemotherapy treatment, the problems started. I went home not feeling the greatest, and after about two hours started to throw up. After the second time I threw up, Dr. Ryan was called. My mother talked to her and was instructed to bring me to the main hospital. Dr. Ryan said that she would make the call, and get me right into where I needed to be with the Oncology specialist that was on shift. I stayed overnight,