Lymphoma

In 2015 at the age of 21, I went to my local ER three times for lower back pain and was sent home every time. After a wonderful Disney trip, I went to my local ER with severe back and stomach pain. After several tests, the doctors told me it looked like I had large tumors in both lungs.

My mother never had an easy life, but she is courageous and strong. She has never let any pitfall keep her from moving forward in life. She is a hardworking, independent single mother who has loved me, supported me, and always managed to be there for me. She is a force to be reckoned with, and a beautiful person.

In October 2015, after a trip to the ER with pain in my abdomen, I was diagnosed with stage 3, large B cell, multiple location, non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

My oncologist originally told me that the treatment plan would include 10 chemotherapy rounds, followed with radiation. I was out of work for eight weeks until my doctor decided I was in good enough health to return work.

This picture is of my brother and my son. Both fought valiantly from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Hodgkin's lymphoma respectively.

I was losing the battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and lymphoma in August of 2013 when I ran across this quote from Albert Einstein, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I decided to adopt this as my standard to live by.

When ten-year-old, Storm Owens was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he was just finishing his spring season with his hockey team. Despite the effects of chemotherapy, he continued on-ice training with his coach and remained confident that he would beat this. He was determined to get back in the net by the fall season.