I discovered a small painful lump under my armpit area so I went to the doctor and I was given antibiotics for an infected lymph node. A few months later, I noticed the lump had grown larger so I scheduled another doctor appointment.
My doctor ordered blood tests and an ultrasound which was followed up with a biopsy. I was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) on October 24, 2016. ALCL is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
I'm 23 years old, I recently graduated from Florida State University. I had just moved to a new city to begin my career. And I felt like my whole world had just fallen apart around me. Today, I am happy to say that I am cancer free after undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy over 18 weeks.
Thanks to my doctors and nurses, family, friends, co-workers, and the people who were just kind enough to help, I was able to stay positive and strong throughout my experience. This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to experience and I want to use what I've learned to help those in similar situations.