Katie is
Blood Cancer United

Ten days following the birth of my son in May, I developed a mass on my upper left thigh/groin area. After several weeks of being seen by multiple physicians, it was decided that I would need a surgical biopsy to determine if we were dealing with cancer or a benign growth.

On July 21, 2016, two weeks before my 32nd birthday, I was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Needless to say, I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be spending my maternity leave driving to doctor appointments, arranging for surgeries to address the tumor and conserve my fertility, undergoing PET scans, echocardiograms, blood draws, and starting chemotherapy!

I am thankful that it has been caught and is in the early stages of 1-2. Praying to undergo only two rounds of chemotherapy and three to five weeks of radiation to follow, depending on how well the tumor responds. I have been humbled and overwhelmed by the response by my co-workers, friends, and family. I know I can conquer anything with the HUGE amount of love and support I have behind me.

I know it will not be an easy road, but I have an optimistic and positive outlook thanks to amazing support, not to mention the cute little bundle I've got to keep me going every day. I hope to participate in the Light The Night (LTN) Walk in October and raise money towards such a great cause. God bless and thank you to those who are walking and raising the money in hopes to find cures for blood cancer.