About Me
Prior to being diagnosed with cancer, I was healthy and active. I ran half marathons and enjoyed riding my Peloton as well as chasing after my toddler.
How This Started
Around Christmas, I found myself winded, unable to compete. My heart rate, which I track regularly, started to go up, and I developed cold symptoms, particularly a cough.
What I Noticed
I let it go for about two weeks. I tested negative for Covid and the flu, so I just assumed it was a normal cold. I tried to wait it out, but three weeks later, it had only become worse, and my resting heart rate had gone up over 30 beats per minute from my normal.
My Decisions Along the Way
The cough never got any better, and the swelling came back after I completed the course of steroids. I had a telehealth appointment with a nurse practitioner who made me feel like my symptoms weren’t serious, telling me my facial swelling wasn’t that bad, the cough would go away eventually, and my heart rate was normal for my age.
Why It Was Easy to Wait
I tested negative for Covid and the flu, which made it easy to assume it was just a normal cold, and both a doctor’s exam and a telehealth nurse practitioner initially downplayed my symptoms.
The Moment Things Changed
I was coughing so badly that I could not lay down to sleep, so I went to urgent care for a chest X-ray, assuming I had pneumonia. The X-ray results came back, and the doctor sent me straight to the emergency room.
What Happened Next
In January, I went to the doctor who did an exam and determined that the cough was just lingering from being sick in December and that it should clear up soon. The very next day, I woke up and my face was completely swollen. I called my doctor who said it was likely an allergic reaction and prescribed steroids.
What Would Have Helped Sooner
If the nurse practitioner had taken my significantly elevated heart rate and facial swelling more seriously instead of calling them normal for my age, I might have been diagnosed sooner.
What I Learned and What I Want Others to Know
That night, I had a CT scan and they told me I had a 15 cm tumor in my chest that was sitting on a vein, and my right lung was full of fluid. A biopsy revealed that I had lymphoma. Self-advocacy led to my lymphoma diagnosis. I urge others to trust your gut. Know your body and speak up for yourself. Don’t let anyone, even a doctor, make you feel that you are making a bigger deal out of your symptoms than you should be.
Changes I Noticed
Shortness of breath, elevated resting heart rate, persistent cough (initially attributed to cold), facial swelling (initially attributed to allergic reaction).
