I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2024.

Before October 2024 everything in my life seemed normal and fine. I worked full-time in a school and was just coming up to my 25th birthday. I was also expecting my first baby which was really exciting.

I was feeling tired, but as someone who was pregnant this didn’t seem worrying. But I found a lump on my neck which did worry me. I went to see my GP who thought it was a fatty lump, but it was getting bigger, so I went back. At this point I was 27 weeks pregnant.

Within a week of that second appointment at the GPs I was invited for an MRI scan (I couldn’t have a PET scan as I was pregnant) and a biopsy. Just a couple of weeks later the results came back. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, and they needed to start treatment as soon as possible.

It was so scary because I needed to have treatment while still pregnant with my daughter, Ava. I was so worried about the impact on the pregnancy and on her.

My care was now to be shared between haematology and maternity and I had a specialist medicine midwife assigned to me. I had lots of meetings and felt I was really cared for by both teams. 

It was explained that I would have ABVD chemotherapy. For many people my age, treatment can be sped up, but as I was pregnant this wasn’t possible for me. I had six rounds before Ava was induced a month early. A gap was needed before I had further rounds of chemotherapy and it was judged to be the best time for me to give birth. 

Ava was born naturally, and although I know it was considered a high risk birth because I was exhausted with the chemotherapy, everything went fine. Ava was put on a feeding tube as she was premature, but she didn’t need that for long.

All the doctors caring for me visited after I had given birth to see Ava. I felt really lucky that I was being cared for so well. 

Taking Ava home was wonderful. I had a lot of family who wanted to help, but I was also so exhausted. I look back at those first days and just how wiped out I was.

I needed six more rounds of chemotherapy, but there were problems with my veins. I had a terrible burning feeling all the time which was agony and made it difficult for me to sleep. I was given morphine, but it didn’t have an impact on the pain. 

I had two CT scans; the first said I was in full recovery and the second said I was in complete remission. Ava was now four and a half months old and it was amazing news.

But treatment took its toll. I had lost my hair and had put on a lot of weight. I had a real identify crisis and didn’t feel like me anymore. My hair is now coming back but I’m still not quite there. 

I gave up work as soon as I had my diagnosis and have now decided that when I return at the beginning of next year I will do so part time.

Because I was pregnant at the time, there wasn’t any possibility of offering me fertility treatment, so I just need to wait and see. 

At the moment I struggle with feeling anxious a lot of the time. My fear is that the lymphoma will come back. I know there is nothing I can do about this, but it is challenging.