My fight against Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Dear family and friends, 

I never thought I would be here today, making a gofundme, because asking for help is not something I am used to doing, but I have come to realize that accepting help during a time like this isn't a bad thing. I am not one to share personal life struggles, especially on the internet, and I have also never been one to depend on others for my finances. However, I am currently unable to work due to my diagnosis and treatment plan. 

The day after my 21st birthday, I went to the ER for severe chest pains. It was the second time I presented myself there. The first time, about a little over a month before, they sent me home with pain medication and pretty much told me it was nothing. I had been experiencing symptoms like extreme fatigue, itchy skin, facial congestion, night sweats, shortness of breath, and chest pains for months prior, but only went to the ER when my chest pains became unbearable. After a full day in the ER and getting all sorts of different tests done, the ER doctor ended up getting me a CT, and the CT showed an 8.3 x 5 x 4 cm mass surrounding my heart, lungs, and aorta, along with a pericardial effusion (fluid around the heart). I was told it was impossible to remove surgically and that they were hoping it was cancer so the mass could be shrunk with chemotherapy and/or radiation. I was also told that the mass was eating away at my breastbone, fracturing it, therefore explaining why I was in so much pain. I was then admitted to the hospital for 2 days, as I was there to get a biopsy on the mass to find out if it's malignant or benign (cancerous or not). 

A week later, I was diagnosed with Stage 4b Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A relatively rare case of lymphoma and staged due to the cancer traveling to my bone and my symptoms being present. I will be undergoing an aggressive six-month regimen of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. It will be 12 cycles in total, so every 2 weeks for 6 months. I have spoken to a radiation oncologist because if the chemo doesn't shrink the whole mass, we might have to try radiation, but that will be determined over time throughout my treatment. 

In addition, due to my treatment plan, going through chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and possible radiation puts me at high risk of infertility. Anyone who knows me knows that my dream is to be a mother one day and have children of my own, so my first question was if I was able to freeze my eggs. My oncologist told me that he was going to recommend it to me anyway, and then he referred me to a fertility clinic in Toronto. Due to my diagnosis, the fertility treatment is covered, but what they forgot to mention is that some of the medications involved in the treatment are not covered and are very pricey.

I will say that I have the best support team. Both my parents got over a month off of work to support me during this time, and I have so many loved ones, family, and friends around me, guiding me, lifting me, and caring for me. However, the road ahead will challenge me, it will challenge me physically, mentally, and even spiritually. I am not ready for this, but it is coming. I will be losing all my hair. They refer to this as alopecia, and I was told complications throughout my treatment are high. I need to monitor myself closely for the next 6 months of my life for infections, fever, and/or anything abnormal. I will be immunocompromised and need to be super careful in public areas. 

During this time, I come to you, extended family, and friends to help ease the emotional and financial strain on me and my family. The donations will assist with travel expenses, prescriptions that aren't covered, fertility treatment medications, general care expenses, and maintaining me financially. While I realize times are hard for everyone these days financially, if you are unable to donate, that is completely okay; just having your support and prayers during this difficult time is more than enough. 

Any unused money at the end of my journey, hopefully ending in remission, will be donated to another lymphoma diagnosed family in need.

Thank you in advance for your support.