Victoria’s Lymphoma Battle

“You have cancer.” A sentence I prayed never to hear. I should have prayed a little harder. 

I was truly hoping that my experience with cancer ended 4 years ago, when I lost my mom to this awful disease. Prior to then, I NEVER thought cancer would impact my life. Well- here we are, and there’s no other choice but to fight.. just like my mom did. 

The past 2 years have been extremely rough. I’ve always thought I just had a weak immune system. I figured my body was still recovering from my history of eating disorders, and the trauma of losing a parent. I was sick at least once per month, with swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, and fevers. I was in and out of the doctor- being told it was just a cold or something viral. 

My symptoms only got more aggressive within the last few months. Week long periods of 103-105 degree fevers, spending any down time sleeping, night sweats, brain fog, and muscle weakness. Being severely anemic, my doctors were focusing on that issue.. never presenting a cause of the anemia or solution. I left each visit defeated and depressed.

I ended up getting a second opinion.. and that’s when it got real. Ryan and I sat with the doctor, hearing that he was 90% sure I had lymphoma, and we had to move quickly because I was so symptomatic. The last month has been a complete blur. CT scans, PET scans, a full lymph node extraction, port placement surgery, tons and tons of blood work, 6 different doctors, and the diagnosis of stage 4 lymphoma. 

My plan is to complete 12 chemo treatments over the next 6 months. I’ve always dreamed of being a mom. Being that chemotherapy lowers the chance of natural pregnancy, I’m in the process of freezing my eggs. I’ll need to complete this process before I can start my first treatment. 

my world is flipped upside down. I’ve always tried to be strong, but I’m scared. If you know me, you know I have the hardest time asking for help- but here we are. The medical bills are starting to come in fast. I’m trying to wrap my head around everything.. but it’s a lot.

I don’t know what the next 6 months will look like, but I know that I’ll fight as hard as I can. I truly appreciate any prayers & donations possible. I’ll be updating and sharing my journey through this ugly disease. Thank you ❤️