AnnaKate is
Blood Cancer United

In my junior year of college, I felt so sick that I would sleep through online classes, throwing up every couple of days. I thought I was just stressed and not sleeping enough at night. However, a month later, a relentless cough took over. It was nonstop ― cough after cough and nap after nap.

Finally, summer arrived, and I was excited to sleep. However, I couldn’t sleep because I was awakened by a cough every hour. I went to urgent care where they did an X-ray and found nothing. They handed me an inhaler, expecting it to help, but shockingly, it didn’t. I then visited a primary care doctor who did very little and said, “You’re a college student; this is normal.” I went on my way, blaming it on my tonsils as the primary care doctor did. Nothing worked, so I returned to urgent care before going back to school. The doctor said I had a cold and prescribed an antibiotic. Nothing made sense, and I was scared. During sorority recruitment, everything took a turn for the worse. I started coughing up blood, broke my rib from coughing, and finally went to the ER where they diagnosed pneumonia. The doctor mentioned a mass, attributing it to pneumonia. Despite taking part in recruitment, I had to throw up after every round due to my sickness. I missed bid day to stay home and sleep. A few days later, an ENT specialist urged me to go to the ER immediately. That day, a compassionate doctor ran every possible test, revealing I had Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). While scared, I finally had answers.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has been a huge part of my cancer journey! My sorority sisters surprised me at Light the Night (LTN) in Austin, and it was one of the best nights ever. It was a day after chemo, so I had to use a wheelchair, but my heart was so full. That night truly changed my life because it showed me how many other cancer survivors are out there and that I don’t need to feel alone with my diagnosis. LLS has such a wonderful community that supports one another with such strength.