On October 19, 2023, I went to urgent care for a cough that wouldn't go away. Turns out, it was a little more than a cough. A large mass in my chest was causing pneumonia. Two weeks later, I finally had a name for the mass primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). One thing that was very important to me early on in my cancer journey was fertility preservation. I knew that the chemotherapy I would get would put me at risk for infertility, so I advocated for myself and got an early referral to the reproductive and endocrinology (REI) clinic near me. It was a coordinated effort between my REI provider, my oncologist, and me to safely fulfill my goal of freezing my eggs while monitoring my symptoms.
As I near the end of my treatment, I plan to advocate for more affordable fertility preservation options, in particular for cancer patients. Blood Cancer United has a very comprehensive guide detailing resources, and I hope more patients are able to benefit from them in the future.
Sarah
mass primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL)
