Georgia

My lymphoma story began in 2022. I was 18 and working part-time in a café. I had just finished college and was living a typical teenage life of going out at weekends with friends and generally enjoying life.

I had a pain in my left knee which started off as something just noticeable, but at other times it was really painful and it was definitely getting worse. I thought I had pulled a muscle, but it wasn’t improving, and I had got to the point where I was limping around and at times could hardly walk.

I went through a few months of going to the doctors and to A&E. On each occasion some reason was given for the pain, and I left with different tablets which only worked for the time I was taking them. The pain kept coming back and I felt I was getting nowhere. On occasion I was in so much pain I was in tears at appointments and nothing was helping. I kept saying that I thought something more sinister was going on and was begging them to scan my knee.  

I was persistent and kept pushing. I had no choice really as I was struggling so much with the pain. An MRI was organised and initially I was told that I had a torn ligament. But a little while after that I received a text saying I was being referred to a bone sarcoma clinic. At first I thought this must have been sent to the wrong person as cancer hadn’t crossed my mind. 

I had an appointment with a specialist sarcoma doctor who explained that the scan had shown a tumour in my leg and more about what would happen next. A Macmillan nurse was there, which made this feel very real and I left that appointment with a worry that my leg may need to be amputated.

It was explained that a biopsy would need to be carried out, which happened in February 2023. It ended up needing to be done three times as the samples weren’t providing enough information to make a diagnosis.

I remember that time clearly. We had to wait a couple of weeks between the biopsies, and I remember just how distraught my mum was. One minute she was heartbroken and the next she was angry. I tried to keep as positive as possible and really hoped that everything would be fine as I could see that everyone around me was struggling.

The third biopsy revealed that I had a fast growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It felt like the diagnosis had been a long time coming, but I didn’t know how to react to this. I did not know what lymphoma was. I had never thought I would have to face cancer and being a blood cancer seemed very difficult to understand. But I did feel like having a diagnosis now meant that something could now be done.

Now everything was moving really quickly. I was told that I would need chemotherapy and was given the option to receive the treatment at a local hospital or travel to the Teenage Cancer Trust Ward. I looked at both options, but immediately felt more comfortable at the Teenage Cancer Trust Ward. 

I had six rounds of R-CHOP chemotherapy which was given as a day patient. Although it was quite a distance from home, I was there for a long day and was very comfortable there; it almost felt like a second home. There was plenty to do and I was around people my own age, which helped me meet others going through a similar thing. This helped give me confidence throughout treatment being there with others like me, sharing our experience and helping each other. 

Everyone kept telling me I was a ‘champ’ because I took each day as it came and tried to be as positive as possible. My family, friends and long-term boyfriend were so supportive and I felt I needed to stay positive not only for me but for those around me. But it was easier said than done to keep this up, and there were days when I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.
 
I was glad to be at home and trying to maintain a normal life, but my body was changing. I had been fitted for a Little Princess wig before chemotherapy, which was just as well as I lost my hair about a week after my first chemotherapy. I had no eyebrows and eyelashes and felt unattractive and unfeminine, which knocked my confidence a lot. But I decided not to avoid mirrors, but to embrace it and even remember painting my head yellow to make myself look like a minion. 

The worst side effects of chemotherapy for me were serious headaches and feeling sick all the time. I was struggling to eat and lost a lot of weight and with that and the hair loss I know I looked really ill. 

Before the diagnosis, the only symptom I had was the pain in my knee, but once treatment started I started to have night sweats. They were so extreme that my mum would need to change my pillow at least once a night because it was so wet. 

I couldn’t tell whether the treatment was working, because I hadn’t really had any symptoms, so waiting for the scan at the end was another worrying time. Again, I tried to stay positive, but you can’t help thinking ‘what if?’

The scan showed that the cancer had gone, which was fantastic news. But I still think about it now and it has changed my life completely. I now feel so grateful for everything I have and the people around me. 

I gave up my part-time job when I had my diagnosis and was able to just focus on treatment and recovery, although I did take that time to learn to drive and even passed my driving test. I am now working full-time as an estate agent and am really enjoying it. 

I hope by sharing my story I can encourage people not be afraid to keep pushing if they have concerns. Basically, trust in your instincts and recognise when something is wrong. I’m proud that I trusted mine, and also proud of everything I have gone through and everything I have achieved.