2 Tips From 2-Time Lymphoma Survivor

In this Q&A, collected through our story portal, Nicole reflects on the isolation and fear she felt when going through cancer treatment. She also offers some uplifting words of advice for fellow cancer survivors. 

What is your experience with cancer?

I'm a two-time stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer survivor. I was first diagnosed when I was 31. I found out on my 32nd birthday I was stage IV. Needless to say, that was one of the worst birthdays I ever had. I was diagnosed the second time when I was 34.

Is there anything you wish you had known before your experience began?

That the treatment, honestly, wasn't going to be as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had heard horror stories and those scared me more than they should have.

What was your biggest stressor, and how did you manage it?

The fact that I was stage IV and thought that it was basically a death sentence. I didn't think I was going to survive at all. Much less survive it twice! I was hospitalized (250 miles away) for 10 days after my first round of treatment, with no family or friends being able to visit me at all during that time (thanks, Mother Nature!). 

I had never been hospitalized before and being there all alone for 10 days on what should have been my death bed (no one expected me to survive) was so scary, depressing, and LONELY. I, somehow, kept myself occupied during that time and, literally, made it out alive.

A Note About Loneliness

Feeling isolated and alone can be one of the hardest aspects of a cancer experience. We are here for one another. Join our online discussion forums to meet others like you who are navigating a diagnosis or supporting a loved one. 

Connect With Others Like You

Have there been positive changes in your life after your cancer diagnosis?

My "incurable" cancer was "cured" (even my oncologist couldn't believe it!) during my second bout of it by an experimental drug (at the time), which has since been taken off the market for a few reasons. 

If it wasn't for that miracle drug cure, I would not be alive today.

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your story?

Two pieces of advice I can give:

1.  A lot of people are going to tell you what you should do (or what they think you should do), but do what YOU want to do and what you feel is the best thing for YOU. People might not be happy with your decisions, but it's YOUR life, not theirs.
2. The biggest thing is KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOR throughout your journey. Laughter can help relieve stress and help keep you sane. Try to find ways to laugh. It helps so much! What I went through was brutal, but my sense of humor helped my sanity throughout the whole process.