I know this isn't a lightning question but I can relate to alot of people on here. I'm 23 and just recently found out I have hogdkins disease (cancer). I'm scared out of mind. I just wanted to know if anyone on this forum has every gone through what I am about to go through (treatments, possible death). I know this is kind of depressing, and moderators feel free to remove this thread. I've know for about 3 weeks, and the worst part is I haven't told my parents yet(don't think they can handle the bad news) so I'm kind of going through this alone. My older sister is getting married in a couple months and my older brother has been having "alcohol" problems so my parents are already stressed out, and I just can't bring myself to tell them.
The one plus is that I hope to drop my truck off at JDM's to finally get a new motor, as my stocker threw a rod about 10 months ago. Hopefully my health insurance will cover most of the med bills, and I can use the money I've been saving to get my truck going again.
Thank you guys for all the help and tips for the lightning over the past couple of years. I hope to beat this, and remain on forum for a while to come. And for everyone on the forum, Please don't be stubborn (like myself) and see a doctor for anything suspicious.

 

Good Luck fighting this. If you have any type of a relationship with your parents at all tell them, IMHO.

 

In my prayers-Find a SUPPORT GROUP NOW PLEASE!!! LOOK ONLINE, OKAY??

 

You have to tell your parents no matter what. They will probably feel unworthy of your trust and 1000 other feelings if you don't tell them. You don't want them to feel guilty. Support from family and friends has proven to increase the ability to fight cancer. Everything happens for a reason and this may turn out better in the end then you think. It is not how you start the race(having cancer), but how you finish it(beating cancer).

Much Love to ya!

 

Hello,
I've done a little research on this type of cancer and from what i've gathered lots of people live with it.. There are a wide variety of therapies for this kind and it also has a 90% cure rate. I met a woman at my job who was diagnosed with it and it she had stage 3 which is the worst level.. She told me through radiation therapy, chemo and finally a stem cell marrow transplant and lots of prayer she was cured(remision)..All of her symptoms went away.. So keep your head up bro, its not the end just stay positive talk & walk with Jesus and you'll have no problems.. Also there is a Hodgkin's disease forum so put that in a search..You'll find a lot of info and meet a lot of people most who are surviving and doing very well with it.. It can be beat!!

Take care and God Bless

 

I haven't gone through it personally, but two of my good friends have gone through it and have beaten it. One found out he had it when he was about 30 and has been cancer-free for almost 15 years. He helps chair the Relay for Life event in Basking Ridge, NJ every year. My other friend, 35, just went through about a year of treatment for Hodgkins. He is now cancer-free. It can be beaten. Be strong and make sure you have the support around you. Also, get the best care possible. The first friend noted above actually lost his brother to Hodgkins because he opted for the closest and most convenient care, not the best care. Good luck to you and always know that this entire community will provide whatever support it can!

 

Thanks guys.

 

Keep your chin up high, be posititve, don't get discouraged and give in.
I just had my eight year check up in May and i'm still cancer free.
I lost two lobes of my right lung and at times I thought that I would
never see the out side again. I guess that all I can tell you is that it is
up to you, your attitude and wanting to go on. It is going to be rough at
times but you have to have the will to beat it. I feel that you need to tell your parents, you will need the support from your family and it is not fair
to them.

God bless you and good luck, I will be praying for you.

George S.

 

A friend of a friend of mine passed away last year from cancer, I seriously don't think it was the cancer itself that did it, it's that he gave up and got tired of trying and fighting. Never give up, that's the first step towards beating this. As bad as things may be, you're going to beat this. As much as your parents have on their plates, they need to know. You need all the support you can get, and we can only give so much on the 'net, but I think I speak for everyone that we'll be here nonetheless. You got my prayers and keep your head up.

 

my mother's been free of brain cancer for going on 3 years now. she had glioblastoma (the fastest growing cancer in the world)....

I can't say enough how amazing M.D. Anderson cancer center in houston has been.

also, at our company our previous IT admin. has (er, had) Hodgkins... he's been free of that for approx 3 years, and our current IT admin is receiving treatment for thyroid cancer... so far all is working out well.

I'd suggest following the Dr.'s orders, stay strong, and DO ALOT OF RESEARCH ON HOW TO EAT correctly. sugar, for instance, feeds cancer... other foods are known to suppress lymph cancer activities. there's a wealth of information out there on the internet...

and finally, STAY STRONG, tell your family if you are close to them, and God bless.

-Mike

 

It's good you posted. You can get tons of support through the forums. It's tough. I went thru female cancer in 2002, 6 surgeries, huge losses of blood and they found it by complete accident. It's been in remission but recently came back so I don't know what I'm in for. I do know about daily challenges and have learned you can NEVER give up. Since 1996 I've suffered from Cervical Radiculopathy/Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (bi-lateral) which affects my arteries and nerves to both arms. If I do too much, they don't work. I then developed a Neuro-muscular illness so I'm in pain pretty much 24/7. Still can't give up. My truck has been the #1 therapy for me. When I had my big cancer surgery in 2002, I was outside 3 days later sanding my Miata (at the time) because I was getting ready to paint it. Even if I didn't get much done, I was outside working on something to get my mind off stuff. I do that with my truck, which is probably why there's so much work done to it. I've done it all. When my cancer went into remission is when I bought my truck. If they didn't find the cancer when they did, I might not have made it another year. I've always wanted a lifted truck so why wait. I've learned you really have to live each day. Even the days I'm stuck home (I'm permanently disabled from all of this) I still feel it's a productive day. Since 2003, I've lived 10 lifetimes in 2 years. I've made up for a lot of lost time.
Definitely talk to your parents. My mom has been the best since she found out. She took me for everything, waited at the hospital all day, drove me around, nursed me.
You can always post on the forums and you can always email me directly for a little boost of support if you want. blndambition@hotmail.com
Stay strong, you're getting all our good thoughts and prayers.
Christine

 

I'm sorry to hear about your difficulties. The guys are right. You need to tell your parents. They have a right to know, and you don't need the additional stress of keeping a secret.

On the positive side, you are young. That will help you. As RED mentioned, M.D.Anderson is an incredible place and if you can get to Houston, that's the place to get the best of care. Of course, there are other excellent places and I'd advise talking to several medical professionals to get their recommendations. You don't want to go to just any hospital. A friend from work (64, life-long smoker, poor physical condition) was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer (the inoperable stuff) and was treated at MDA. Today he has been cancer free for 2 years.

My email address is in my profile if you ever feel the need to talk.

Good Luck!

Dave...

 

Dude, I see that you are only 23, whatever you do, have Faith! 1 1/2 years ago I had to have gall bladder surgery and in the process the surgeon found tumors on my liver(Neuroendocrine Carcinoid tumors). I'm 48, been married to the same great woman for 27 years and have 3 daughters, one who was still in high school and one who just got married, but was engaged and still in college at the time. All I could think of initially was that I would miss seeing their graduations, weddings, grandchildren, etc. Both of my parents are in their 70's and dad has a bad heart, but we had to come home and tell them what we found. 2-two days later, my brother who is now 42 came home and told us that he had stomach cancer. He's had 2 major surgeries and many chemo treatments and is still fighting it today. I luckily have had no changes in my tumors and am still leading a full life doing everything that I want to do. If our parents could accept this news, I believe that your parents can to. A couple of my doctors have commented to me that they feel that my attitude has a lot to do with my continued good condition. I don't know if that is true, but you don't want to take any chances, right?
Keep your head up. Tell your family and friends, their love and support really goes a long way in helping. I don't know if you believe in God, but I know this, you have to have faith in something to make it in today's world. Tell yourself, I'm gonna beat this S***!, it's not gonna beat me! Our prayers go out to you and if you need to talk, email me. God bless.

 

As you already know, cancer took my father's life two weeks ago.
He fought it for about 2 years or so. He was also almost 30yrs older then you and do to A LOT of doctor screw ups it was NOT caught early. He fought it hard, it would go away but it kept coming back and worse.
I am not trying to scare you as you are probably a lot better off then he was.
You need to keep your head up as high as you can.
My father never had the greatest outlook at life over the last couple of years, which I am sure did not help him.
You also MUST tell your parents.
My father kept stuff from my older brother and myself and even more from my younger brother and sister. I feel that is not the way to do it at all.
Your parents can give you a lot of support which you ARE going to need to get thru this.
Sit down with them and explain it to them, you will thank yourself later.
If you need anything don't hesitate to ask.
Best of luck, -Mat-

 

I BEAT HD in 1999. I was 27 at the time and had Stage IIA, Nodular Sclerosing. Been disease free (remission) for ~6 years now. I had a few surgeries, biopsies and 2 rounds (8 weeks) of RT.

Hang in there, get some support from friends and family and do your best to keep a positive attitude. One in three people will get a Cancer diagnosis sometime in their life. 64% of the 1.3 million people diagnosed in the US this year will be ALIVE in 5 years. Many others have gone before you and are doing extremely well.

Lance Armstrong (World Class Cyclist & 6-time TdF Champion) - Testicular Cancer Survivor
Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) - HD Survivor
Mr. T ("I pity the fool...") - Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Survivor

One word of caution (my opinion only) beware of the "Internet" newsgroups / forums etc. The people are well-intentioned, but they can be a source of lots of misinformation. I try to stick to reputable sources for Cancer information. Some of my favorites:

Lance Armstrong Foundation "LiveStrong"
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute

Send me an email through my profile and I'll tell you more about my personal experiences with HD.