Cancer Blog - Rachel (rachel2000)

Company Donate Contact

You are here : Cancer Blog » Cancer Survivors » rachel2000

Vital Info

Name:
Rachel (rachel2000)

Member Since:
March 17, 2009

Location:
St. Louis, Missouri

Birthday:
January 4, 1985

Profile:
Cancer Survivor

Cancer Info

Type of Cancer:
Hodgkin Lymphoma

Diagnosis Date:
August 2008

Stage of Cancer:
Stage 4

Lymph Node Involvement:
Yes

Surgery:
Lymph Node Removal, Lumpectomy

Radiation:
yes

Chemotherapy:
Vinorelbine (brand name: Navelbine), Gemcitabine (brand name: Gemzar), Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin)

What I Hate Most About Cancer:
How hard it is to get rid of.

What I Have Learned From Cancer:
Your close ones are affected and changed, too, for better or worse.

Things My Supporters Can Do To Help:
Good thoughts and prayers and any general pointers from native New Yorkers

Alternative Cancer Treatment:
I'm taking a slew of herbal supplements, my new expreriment.

Metastasized? Where?:
After successful radiation to the chest, doctors' found it had metastasized to my abdominal lymph nodes.

Cancer Symptoms:
Most notably, I was itching horribly, and I lost 25+ lbs. Also, I wasn’t sleeping and had vivid nightmares and night sweats when I did. I had a lumpy neck, fatigue, a cough that lasted for months, and finally, my left lung had collapsed (which lead to the diagnosis).

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects:
3 bone marrow biopsies
lumpectomy of left side of neck
failed insertion of chest port (too much swelling underneath)
successful insertion of arm port
chest catheter insertion, removal

Radiation Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Received 5 weeks of localized radiation to the chest

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:
ABVD- nausea, fatigue, wooziness, thinning
hair
ICE- nausea, fatigue, wooziness, total hair
loss, bleeding gums and mouth sores
GND- some fatigue, mouth sores

Bone Marrow Transplant Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Trying to shrink tumors down to nil before going ahead with stem cell transplant. I now will be needing an outside donor transplant.

Immune Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Lenalidomide- Generally well tolerated

Cancer Symptoms

Most notably, I was itching horribly, and I lost 25+ lbs. Also, I wasn’t sleeping and had vivid nightmares and night sweats when I did. I had a lumpy neck, fatigue, a cough that lasted for months, and finally, my left lung had collapsed (which lead to the diagnosis).

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects

3 bone marrow biopsies
lumpectomy of left side of neck
failed insertion of chest port (too much swelling underneath)
successful insertion of arm port
chest catheter insertion, removal

Radiation Description, Dates & Side Effects

Received 5 weeks of localized radiation to the chest

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects

ABVD- nausea, fatigue, wooziness, thinning
hair
ICE- nausea, fatigue, wooziness, total hair
loss, bleeding gums and mouth sores
GND- some fatigue, mouth sores

Bone Marrow Transplant Description, Dates & Side Effects

Trying to shrink tumors down to nil before going ahead with stem cell transplant. I now will be needing an outside donor transplant.

Immune Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects

Lenalidomide- Generally well tolerated

Comments:

Rachel, you are so young. You are going to be fine. Youth, good docs, good meds and one day you will look back on this as a way thing of the past. Let us know how you are doing. Linda

Posted on November 17, 2009 at 8:10:49 AM PST by pattyputty

hi, rachel. i have been thinking about you lately and wondering how you are doing in new york. i hope they are curing you as we speak. please know i continue to pray for you and think about you alot. keep the faith. debby

Posted on November 9, 2009 at 1:37:46 PM PST by debby

You poor poor young lady. I am 5 hours away. You say the word and my wife and I will ride down, give you a ride and have lunch. This is a real offer no fake. But let me know soon because winter will be here soon enough.

I just asked the head cook and bottle washer and she said, “cool” I could bring my brother and sister so you could ride more than one.

Let me know
Mac

Posted on August 21, 2009 at 5:55:04 PM PDT by rigidridr

Hi Rachel,

I am a survivor of Stage 2 Hodgkin’s – did my 6 months of ABVD chemo and finished in December. You’re very positive which is AWESOME and that is what will really help you get thru this. For me – I had no syptoms of the cancer and was blessed that a doctor felt some small nodes in my neck on a routine visit!! I would probably never have realized what was wrong – until I was way past the Stage 2 point. You look great. I hope the new treatments really kill this crappy disease and have you healthy very soon once again!
All best,
Lauren

Posted on March 27, 2009 at 10:16:59 AM PDT by lauren1979

Rachel2000's Stats

Posts:	14
Photos:	0
Events:	0
My Supporters:	34
I Support:	56
Comments:	79
Views:	18848

rachel2000's Cancer Blog (14)

See all 14 Posts

Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer Blogs

Stage 4 Cancer Blogs

Missouri Cancer Blogs

My Supporters:

April	Jill	Jenn	tmay
Mike	Yuyu	Louise	Mac
Jill	Jackie	~B~	simplysharron
debby	Karen	Kellye	Taff

See all 36 Supporters

Become a Supporter

I support:

Martha	April	Jill	Andrea
Ron	tmay	Kathleen	Louise
Frank	munro2	Mac	Jill
Paul Daigrepont	Barbie	Jackie	simplysharron

See all 56 Friends

Advertising

If you wish to become an sponsor please see our sponsor page. All proceeds will go back into building a better system.

Thanks for your support - Jill, Founder, Cancer Survivor

p.s. If you have any suggestions on how to improve Blog for a Cure, send me some feedback. Keep in touch & let me know how I can make this the best system possible for you.