Bailey's Hodgkin's Lymphoma Journey
Donation protected
This page has been set up for Bailey Carlson, who is a 23-year-old woman from Minnesota. At the beginning of April 2016, she got engaged to her fiancé Mark and they were happily planning their wedding, which will be in July of this year. Then life took a complete 180 degree turn and she found herself diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This page has been set up to provide some relief to the many bills that have been associated with this, whether that is medical appointments, chemotherapy, fertility treatments or hair extensions for her wedding. Anything helps and it is all appreciated so much.
Here is her story:
“On August 16, 2016, I went into the doctor’s office because I had found a lump right above my collarbone and wanted to get it checked out. They told me that it was most likely an enlarged lymph node from an infection (though blood work did not show an infection). I was told to come back in two weeks if it hadn’t gone down or had gotten bigger. I went back in a month later (September 16th) just to be safe and a CT was ordered for that afternoon. A few hours later, my doctor called and said that they did notice something and referred me to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. That following Tuesday (September 20th) I met with the specialist, who did not see anything from running a few basic tests, but he did order a biopsy to figure out what the lump was. On the 22nd, I had the biopsy and on the 23rd as I was driving home, I got the call that I was dreading, but deep down felt was coming. The lump in my neck was cancerous. So many emotions were running through me and I shared the news with my parents and Mark when I got home, along with a few cries. The following Wednesday (28th) I had a PET scan done and a few hours later met with my oncologist. She informed me that I had been diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, as it was on both sides of my neck and had spread into my chest. So much information was given and it was a very overwhelming feeling. Much of the appointment I just sat there with a blank stare and absorbed the information that they were telling me. I was told that I would need to think about fertility. Being newly engaged, Mark and I had talked about kids, but hadn’t needed to get serious about it so quickly and decide within a matter of days what we wanted to do. We talked with a few doctors and decided to explore the fertility options that we had, which of course came with huge expenses (present and future), but we felt it was worth it. The day after our fertility procedure, I started chemo, both of which took a toll on my body.
Fast forward after 6 months of chemo and more scans, I found out that I was CANCER-FREE on May 10th! While this is a huge victory, I know that I still have future appointments, especially if we end up needing to do more fertility procedures, but I am so ecstatic that this is behind me for now. I look forward to focusing all of my energy on our upcoming wedding and marriage. As my hair has started to grow back, I have looked at getting extensions put in. Unfortunately, that is another added expense, but I want to feel 100% like myself on my wedding day. Through this journey I have felt so thankful for everyone’s thoughts, prayers, calls, texts and support. It means more than you know!”
As stated above, anything helps, no matter how small. This journey has been an emotional one and she has felt all of the love and support from friends and family, as well as complete strangers. Please consider donating if you are in a place to do so. She was not comfortable asking for assistance, but as she saw the bills pile up and had a few requests from loved ones, she decided to let this page be set up.
Thank you for your kindness!
Here is her story:
“On August 16, 2016, I went into the doctor’s office because I had found a lump right above my collarbone and wanted to get it checked out. They told me that it was most likely an enlarged lymph node from an infection (though blood work did not show an infection). I was told to come back in two weeks if it hadn’t gone down or had gotten bigger. I went back in a month later (September 16th) just to be safe and a CT was ordered for that afternoon. A few hours later, my doctor called and said that they did notice something and referred me to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. That following Tuesday (September 20th) I met with the specialist, who did not see anything from running a few basic tests, but he did order a biopsy to figure out what the lump was. On the 22nd, I had the biopsy and on the 23rd as I was driving home, I got the call that I was dreading, but deep down felt was coming. The lump in my neck was cancerous. So many emotions were running through me and I shared the news with my parents and Mark when I got home, along with a few cries. The following Wednesday (28th) I had a PET scan done and a few hours later met with my oncologist. She informed me that I had been diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, as it was on both sides of my neck and had spread into my chest. So much information was given and it was a very overwhelming feeling. Much of the appointment I just sat there with a blank stare and absorbed the information that they were telling me. I was told that I would need to think about fertility. Being newly engaged, Mark and I had talked about kids, but hadn’t needed to get serious about it so quickly and decide within a matter of days what we wanted to do. We talked with a few doctors and decided to explore the fertility options that we had, which of course came with huge expenses (present and future), but we felt it was worth it. The day after our fertility procedure, I started chemo, both of which took a toll on my body.
Fast forward after 6 months of chemo and more scans, I found out that I was CANCER-FREE on May 10th! While this is a huge victory, I know that I still have future appointments, especially if we end up needing to do more fertility procedures, but I am so ecstatic that this is behind me for now. I look forward to focusing all of my energy on our upcoming wedding and marriage. As my hair has started to grow back, I have looked at getting extensions put in. Unfortunately, that is another added expense, but I want to feel 100% like myself on my wedding day. Through this journey I have felt so thankful for everyone’s thoughts, prayers, calls, texts and support. It means more than you know!”
As stated above, anything helps, no matter how small. This journey has been an emotional one and she has felt all of the love and support from friends and family, as well as complete strangers. Please consider donating if you are in a place to do so. She was not comfortable asking for assistance, but as she saw the bills pile up and had a few requests from loved ones, she decided to let this page be set up.
Thank you for your kindness!
Organizer
Bailey Carlson
Organizer
St. Paul, MN