I am a three-time survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). First, I received full mantle radiation therapy in 1986, followed by chemotherapy in 1994, and finally a bone marrow transplant in 2004. I am now 17 years cancer-free. I owe my life to my oncologists, Winship Cancer Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and my wife. I was a First Connection® Program volunteer with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) for 10 years, but I dropped out because medical technology was developing so fast.
It's hard on the patient, but even harder on the caregiver. When you are diagnosed with cancer, you are at the mercy of the doctors, and you follow their directions, but the caregiver can only be there for you to provide support. Physically it's harder on the patient, but emotionally I believe it's harder on the caregiver.
Every day that I live now is a gift from God, and I believe that I appreciate things a lot more than I did before I was first diagnosed. I am living proof that there is a wonderful life after being diagnosed with cancer.
Robert
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)
