My name is Tristan. In 2009, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Things moved so quickly.
One moment, I was in college, the next I was getting a crash course in biopsies and power ports. I was told it was the "good" cancer to have. After the initial treatment, ABVD and radiation, I achieved remission, but quickly relapsed. I was put back on chemotherapy.
After months of no response, my oncology team decided an autologous transplant was my best choice. The success was short-lived, and I relapsed less than two months after. Running out of both time and treatment options, doctors presented me with the MOPP treatment. This was only a therapeutic treatment to buy time.
Almost a year later, I got sent to Vanderbilt to be typed and matched, but no one was a match. I was told it was time to start getting my affairs in order and that I would likely expire before a donor was found.
The next day, I received a voicemail from Vandy saying an almost perfect match had been found. I was floored. Day zero for me was May 8, 2009. I’ve been in full remission with minimal complications.
Tristan
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)
