Project19

In Kailani's Words:

I know that a few people have been interested in knowing my story, so here it is.

In January when I was home from Troy for Christmas I had a really bad cold and got my wisdom teeth removed. I noticed that I had enlarged lymph nodes, so I went to the doctors. The doctor told me that it was a draining problem and it should clear up soon. So I went back to Troy for spring semester and didn’t think much of it.
Spring training came and it was very frustrating. I knew that I was giving all the effort that I could every practice, and I was just never reaching my goals. If anything I was doing worse and worse. I had all the symptoms; enlarged lymph nodes, tiredness, being thirsty, being itchy. The problem was that many of these symptoms was they are the same side effects of being a NCAA division I student athlete, so I would always brush them aside.
When I came home in May for what I thought was going to be a short trip I did my usual check up at the doctors. I showed my doctor my lymph nodes that were still enlarged thinking nothing of it. Which she immediately sent me to get an ultrasound: that was the first time I was worried something was seriously wrong. I was immediately given a fine-needle biopsy on May 9th. A week later my family doctor called me into her office and informed me the results were positive for a suspicion of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Over the next few weeks I did more tests including; a blood test, a CT scan and a biopsy of a lymph node in my neck. Waiting for the results was one of the hardest part, it seemed that it took forever.
Finally it was time for me to go to the Tom Baker Cancer Center in, Calgary Alberta, to meet with my Hematologist. A neat fact is the Tom Baker Cancer Center is the second best place in North America to get cancer treatment. I was brought into a room with my mom and dad. The resident was the first doctor to see me and ran through a few standard tests. A funny part was when she asked me to raise my hands over my head and hold them there for a few minutes. She looked at me with a puzzled look and asked, “So you’re not feeling faint?” Confused by this I answered “No, why?” she then informed me that the largest lymph node in my neck actually measured 8cm (That is just over 3 inches for my American friends) and was pushing on one of my main arteries. They were all in shock when I told them of the training regiment of the spring season I had just completed. Technically I should have not been able to push my body that hard without passing out or feeling faint.
My hematologist entered the room and informed me of the locations of the enlarged lymph nodes. They found them in my neck, armpits, above my hip and in my groin area. The larger lymph nodes were in my neck and became smaller in the lower parts of my body. Since the lymph nodes were enlarged above and below my abdomen, I was diagnosed with Stage III Nodular sclerosis Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is known as the most common type of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and has an excellent prognosis.
He moved on to tell me the treatment regiment they had decided for me was twelve treatments with the ABVD cocktail. That I should expect hair loss and it wouldn’t be easy but he knew I could do it. I was expecting to be going back to Troy for university in September but realized that it was going to take six months before I could go back: because I am given the treatment every two weeks. Going through treatment is definitely a weird experience. I can physically see the chemotherapy drugs going into my body through an IV. The nurse that administers the drugs to me wears goggles for her own safety. It’s a little weird to think that she has to wear eye protection for the exact thing that is being pumped through my veins. The chemotherapy works to basically kill the cancer cells as well as my immune system. I wash my hands and stay away from every germ I possibly can to stay healthy.
At Tom Baker there are over a thousand people treated weekly for various cancers, most of them are way older than me. You can always tell the breast cancer ladies who are always fully decked out in pink. Every time a new nurse gives you treatment they ask you to spell your last name and give your date of birth. I have lost count of how many times I have said “D-E-C-O-C-K November 26 1992”. With most people around me saying 1930-1970. A doctor told me that there are only a handful of people my age of all thousands treated.
I am not the kind of person who likes to have a lot of attention drawn towards them. I am a person though who wishes to find a cure for cancer. This is not about me, it is about something much bigger. My main goal is to raise awareness of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and even all cancer in young adults. I am lucky to be in Canada where we have an amazing health care system, which helps to pay for my treatment. It breaks my heart to think that there are people right now who are not able to afford proper treatment. I don’t think that there should ever be any amount of money that can determine if a person can be healthy or not. I know that with the launch of #PROJECT19 on social media if we are able to raise enough money to save even one life we have done our jobs.
The support I have received is overwhelming and greatly appreciated. I have gone through this with positivity. I have been telling everyone they are not allowed to cry for me, because I am not crying. In a weird way I see this as a blessing: I am only twenty and I have already learned that life is short and you must live every moment to its full potential. I get to see how beyond amazing my friends and family are in Alabama, Canada and all around the world. Thank you for reading my story, Cancer picked the wrong girl to mess with.

I love you all,

Kailani #19