Julie

I was 39 and working for the NHS as a health assistant.

When I was about 20 I was diagnosed with endometriosis but had recently been having problems connected to it. As a result I was due to have an MRI scan as they were considering surgery.  At the time I was struggling with fatigue and couldn’t work out why, as I wasn’t convinced it was connected to the endometriosis.

I had the MRI scan and afterwards they asked me to come back so they could carry out a full body CT scan. This raised my suspicions as they were not clear on why they were doing this. 

The CT scan was arranged for the same week and I then had to go in the following week for a biopsy. I knew they would not be doing this unless they felt it was needed. Unfortunately the first biopsy did not take enough tissue sample, so I needed to go back for another one.

The waiting time after the biopsy and waiting for the results was just horrible. I had no control over the timeframe; you just have to wait. I felt the news was going to be awful.

I was told I had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma stage 2, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. 
Despite working in healthcare, I only knew that lymphoma was a type of blood cancer, but very little more about it. But I felt absolutely devastated and shocked. It did explain why I was so fatigued though.

The doctors were very reassuring that this was treatable and I was to have six months of R-CHOP chemotherapy. The first round was fine, and I just struggled with a bit of nausea. I lost my hair, but accepted that. But as time went on it got tougher. I was neutropenic and ended up in A&E quite a few times.

At one point I thought I couldn't do this any more, but my mum kept telling me that I was nearly half way there and mustn’t give up. The scan half way through showed that the lymphoma had reduced by 50%, which was really encouraging, and at the end of treatment I was told I was in remission.

I was off work during treatment and for two months after my treatment had finished. The treatment had wiped me out and I was struggling with tiredness. It took those two months to feel like I had a bit more energy.

I found exercise helped with the fatigue and went back to Zumba which I really enjoy. It was good to be able to focus on me and on something that was doing me good.

My experience of lymphoma has changed my life so much. My outlook has completely changed; I do not let things I cannot control bother me any more.  

My family were very supportive, but my diagnosis came shortly after both my nan and my dad had died of cancer. My diagnosis was different to theirs, but such recent experiences really scarred my mum who feared losing me as well.

I would say to others who have a diagnosis like mine, that although it is tough, you will get through it. And life is certainly worth it.