In September 2024, I started experiencing a strange neck pain that felt like I might have slept wrong or pulled a muscle. I had this pain for about a week and a half until one night I woke up in the middle of the night in so much pain in my neck and was unable to move my arms. My initial thought was that I had a slipped disk in my neck. My mom rushed me to the ER, where I received many tests, which led to the doctors telling me that I had a swollen lymph node pressing on a nerve in my neck. The next step was to find out why my lymph nodes were swollen. It took a month of tests, scans, and blood work to receive a diagnosis.
On October 30, 2025, I was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Once I was diagnosed, I never felt the pain in my neck again. I’m convinced my guardian angel put that pain there to get me to the hospital. Step one after being diagnosed was to freeze my eggs because my biggest dream in life is to be a mom, and I was not going to let this bump in the road ruin that for me.
After meeting with an oncologist, I was given the steps of receiving 12 rounds of chemotherapy, which included AVD and immunotherapy. My treatment would take six months. Chemo went well for the most part, minus a few scares, including throwing a blood clot in my lungs and some severe bone pain. After six rounds and a PET scan, I was told the chemo was working, and I was cancer-free. The final six treatments were precautionary.
On May 1, 2025, I completed my final round of chemotherapy and got to ring that glorious bell. Being diagnosed at such a young age has taught me so many things, but most importantly, it taught me how strong I can be even at my darkest and most vulnerable state. I will forever be grateful to all of my doctors and my care team for guiding me through this journey, and I’ve met some amazing people along the way.
Jessica
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)
