How Rare Is It Really?

According to www.cancer.gov there were about 8,220 cases of Hodgkin's Diagnosed in 2008. Of those 1,350 died. That's so scary to me because while most did NOT die, there were still well over 1,000 that did. It's terrifying but this is cancer. Hodgkin's is definitely rare. Compare 8,220 new cases in the USA last year to 182,460 new cases of breast cancer in 2008. There were 40,480 deaths. Now think of the risks of Hodgkin's in Pregnancy. So very low. I have read the risk of cancer in pregnancy is around 1 in 1000. This is cancer in general during pregnancy. My guess is it's much lower for Hodgkin's. Here is the ironic thing. Not only was I paired up with a woman who had Hodgkin's during her pregnancy through the Pregnant With Cancer Network but I have since found through blogging and Facebook two more women who had the same thing happen. One of them is healthy and well like myself and the other is currently undergoing a stem cell transplant. I have kept up with her procedures through Facebook but you cannot help but ask yourself why? Why is she having such trouble? I pray for her full recovery and that this transplant will cure her eventually. It's hard but honestly if you do the research on this you'll see it happens more often than you think. Oh and both women's babies were born healthy!

Yet I was still a very rare case having had chemo in the first trimester. Ask any specialist, doctor, oncologist, OB/GYN and I am willing to bet they have met not one patient who ever had chemo in the first trimester. I am willing to bet they would believe it could not be done. Yet it can be done and my Gabriella is living proof.

Speaking of which, she slept great last night. I do know she has GERD but it never used to wake her up so much. Then I realized another molar is poking through so I am thinking it could have been teething waking her up. I gave her some Motrin last night and she slept like a baby! haha Whoever invented that phrase never had a baby!