In February 2024, I had just entered my second trimester of pregnancy and woke up with a swollen lymph node on my neck about the size of a golf ball. After scans and two biopsies, I was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL). It was found to be high-grade (meaning it’s growing fast). This is an aggressive form of lymphoma, so I immediately began chemotherapy while pregnant. Waiting until after the baby was born for treatment (estimated six months later) was not in my best interest, and unfortunately, the risk of waiting was too high. I endured 12 weeks of chemo and an additional six weeks of infusions. The journey was far from easy, developing cardiac issues that led to hospitalizations, severe deconditioning, and an urgent C-section. By the grace of God, I gave birth to a perfect, healthy baby boy, my miracle baby. A few weeks later, I was able to undergo my first PET scan (since contraindicated in pregnancy and only MRIs were done) and received the beautiful news that I’m officially cancer-free!
Holly
diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)
