Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL)

I was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in June 1991, about a month shy of my 21st birthday. I was in school for cosmetology, had just signed divorce papers from my first husband and was dating the man who would become my second husband. Life was great for me.

In December 2007, my life completely changed. I had a biopsy done just four days before Christmas, and my oncologist called me on Christmas Day to tell me that I needed to come in and see him after the holidays to discuss my pathology report. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. I endured five surgeries in just four weeks and spent my 36th birthday in the hospital.

I fell in love with distance running in 2010 while training for my first marathon as a member of Team In Training, raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Since then, I have completed five full marathons and one ultra-marathon (49K). I started getting into mountain running in 2016, and aspire to run some mountain races here in Alaska, including Mount Marathon in Seward!

In March 2017, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

This came as a huge shock. I immediately starting thinking about how this might impact my wife and our two young daughters' lives.

Seven years ago I was 18 years old and a freshman in college. I could not have been more proud of myself. I had a 3.7 GPA, I joined the cheerleading team (first time I ever cheered before), became a member of a sorority and was involved in a local organization related to my major.

It's not easy being bald, a bald physician, and a bald wife. This is my third dance with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). I first met HL in college, as many young girls meet their first pivotal relationship. Sadly for me, I attended an all woman's college, so my pivotal 'boyfriend' came in the form of a first cancer diagnosis.

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

I am a 26-year survivor of 4B Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and a 21-year survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

I was 41 years old when I was first diagnosed, and I had three young children back then. Treatment was tough, but my husband was by my side every step of the way, and it made a big difference.

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.