Fighting Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Hi, my name is Michel Mendoza, I was diagnosed in December 2014 with unfavorable Hodgkin’s Lymphoma stage IIA. This is a type of cancer of the Lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. In Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, cells in the lymphatic system grow abnormally and may spread to other parts of the body. As Hodgkin’s lymphoma progresses, it compromises the body’s ability to fight infection.
The treatment for this type of cancer include chemotherapy, radiation and in some cases stem cell transplant. I have been on chemotherapy since January 2015, but my body does not responded to chemotherapy the way it is supposed to do it. I just started to take a new medicine as an infusion in to a vein called Brentuximab Vedotin, this medication is a monoclonal antibody that bring the chemo drug to the lymphoma cells, where it enters the cells and makes them die when they try to divide into new cells. However a stem cell transplant has a definite roll in my treatment and I am expecting to have the transplant very soon.
A little more about me, I am a father of two daughters, one is 7 years old and the other one is 15 years old. I spend a lot of time with them, I try as much as I can to make different activities every weekend for them, such as go to the park, take them out for dinner, go to Bush Garden, go to the beach, go to the learning center on Saturday, watch movies, etc.…. the time and the activities with my daughters is very important for me because is the motor that keep me hoping that I will be cured and I will get back to my normal life soon again. I currently employed but I am not able to work because of the treatment, I have to drive many time almost every week to the Moffitt Cancer Center and to Tampa General Hospital to follow up doctor’s appointments and continuous with my treatment. So my campaign is to get an extra help to keep up with my medical expenses, and keep doing the activities that I do with my daughters and to cover some others expenses if it is possible.
Thank you in advance for your support