SPECIAL THANKS! – ISSUE NO. 129

It is that time of year again when we gather with our family and friends, eat turkey and watch football. We reflect on the year and give thanks for the blessings that have enriched our lives. When I reflect on this past year it's impossible not to think about last Thanksgiving when I discovered swollen lymph nodes in my neck and suddenly became very Ill. I spent the next few weeks visiting doctors which eventually led to a biopsy of a lymph node that had since become swollen under my left arm. When the pathology results came back, it revealed that I had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. My initial reaction was how could I have cancer? I just turned 33 years old. The fact of the matter is that many people who are diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma are young and research has shown there is no clear cause to this horrible disease. I remember one of the worst parts of this experience was having to tell my family and close friends during the holiday season that I was sick and that I was going to have to start chemotherapy immediately. Particularly for my parents this was a personal nightmare that came to life, both having parents of their own who have lost their lives to cancer at an early age. After six long months of chemotherapy, I was very fortunate that I responded well to treatment and have now been cancer free for over 5 months. I have learned not to take a single moment for granted because life is truly short and the unfair fact is it can be even shorter for someone fighting cancer. During this Thanksgiving I'm very thankful for God giving me strength, and my family and friends for their love and support. I would also like to send out a special thank you to all of you who have chosen the healthcare field as your profession. Without the hard work of healthcare professionals there wouldn't be people like me to tell their story.