For cancer survivors out there, do you ever think that? Or if you are currently battling the disease and hear that someone else has that same cancer, do you think to yourself that now you share something with that person?
I just read that former "Survivor: Africa" winner Ethan Zhon has Hodgkin's Disease. Maybe it's because really Hodgkin's is a rare cancer that I feel that way each time I see someone else who has fought it, or who is newly diagnosed with it. I just think to myself that they have my cancer. Not that I want ownership over something like this! It's just a battle that I know well and one close to my heart.
I admit, I never watched Survivor. But I do sympathize with anyone who has to go through anything remotely similar to what I did. He has different treatments than me. They stated he must go through three months of radiation. I had 12 chemo treatments and one month of radiation. I am not sure if it said he has to have chemo or not. I did read that his specific Hodgkin's is called CD20-positive Hodgkin's lymphoma. I will be honest. I have no idea at all what that means. I forgot again to ask my doctor what stage I was. I hate not knowing!!! It drives me mad. I want to know. I want the exact name, stage and all of that though I doubt we'll ever have any definite answers since I couldn't get a full body scan. I will have to remember to ask the next time. That isn't until August. I hope I remember.
I am wishing this young man well. Hope he gets better fast. Then he can say he is TRULY a Survivor indeed.
Why don't you write and ask for the info? He might write it down for you. I would be like you, I would want to know :)
ReplyDeleteI've met a few people who had "my" cancer, and it does create an instant bond - a bond that I think is there for any fellow cancer survivor on some level, but probably even more with the same diagnosis. It's really cool when I can meet little kids and they can see my scar, see that my hair did grow back, and also see that I went on to grow up and have a good life. You feel their excitement when treatments go well, and it's heartbreaking when they don't.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to say, for the details of your treatment, you should be able to get all the medical records with details of your diagnosis and treatment from your hospital. I have all of mine, and they're pretty interesting (and sometimes useful) to have. I was able to request mine from another state, so you wouldn't necessarily even have to pick them up in person.
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