Stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor: Why I’m excited about MD Anderson coming to Austin

I grew up in Beaumont, about 85 miles northeast of Houston. Everyone there knows that MD Anderson is the best place to go for world-class cancer care.  

So, when I was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma the day before my 26th birthday, I wouldn’t even consider going anywhere else.  

My non-Hodgkin lymphoma symptoms

I’d been losing weight and feeling unwell for months. Cancer never even crossed my mind. I was only 25, and cancer doesn’t run in my family.  

But cancer is exactly what it turned out to be.  

One night, I woke up with no feeling in my left arm and went to the ER. The doctor thought I’d pulled a muscle. He ordered a chest X-ray and sent me home with some muscle relaxers. 

After getting home, I finally fell asleep — only to wake up the next morning to a call from the hospital. A new team of radiologists had come on shift and reviewed my scans from earlier. They’d seen something that looked like cancer.  

After talking with my doctor, I got a CT scan. The results suggested that the mass was a form of lymphoma. The cardiothoracic surgeon my doctor referred me to said I needed a biopsy to confirm the mass was cancer. He felt pretty confident it was, though, so he offered to install a chemotherapy port while I was still under anesthesia, if that’s what it turned out to be.  

When I woke up in the recovery room, the first thing I did was put a hand to my chest. My heart sank when I felt the port there. 

My non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis

We made a call to MD Anderson immediately. That first week was one of the hardest — test after test, scan after scan, blood draws, biopsies. We needed an accurate diagnosis so my care team could make sure I got the right treatment. 

Just days earlier, my life in Dallas had felt full and exciting — I was thriving in my career, surrounded by my best friends and in a long-term relationship. Then, only one day before my 26th birthday, I was diagnosed with cancer. Everything changed overnight. 

Eventually, my care team made their diagnosis: I had a relatively rare, but aggressive, form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, or PMBCL. It’s called “primary mediastinal” because the tumor appears first in the chest cavity. My cancer was considered stage IV because the tumor stretched down below my diaphragm. It was also in my kidney.  

My non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment

I was really scared. But I also had enormous faith in MD Anderson. When my care team recommended six cycles of a chemotherapy regimen called “R-CHOP” — short for rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine and prednisone — I trusted their plan completely. 

Just three weeks later, I had a follow-up scan. This was earlier than usual, because I’d developed a pulmonary embolism that needed to be monitored closely. To everyone’s surprise, the grapefruit-sized mass in my chest had already shrunk to the size of a plum. It felt like a miracle. By the time I rang the bell on Nov. 9, 2009, to mark the end of my treatments, I showed no evidence of disease.   

I’ve been in full remission ever since then. 

Access to local cancer treatment can be life-changing

At the time of my diagnosis, I was living in Dallas — even farther from Houston than where I grew up in Beaumont. But I owe my life to MD Anderson, and I would’ve traveled all day, every day to get there if I had to.  

Fortunately, most of my family was in Houston, so I had a place to stay and a built-in support system during treatment. Not everyone has that. That’s why I was so excited to learn that MD Anderson will soon begin building an Austin location.  

I’ve been cancer-free now for almost 16 years. I’ve reached the point where I no longer need special check-ups at MD Anderson. I just follow up with my regular physician. And statistically, I’m no more likely to get cancer than anyone else. I’m grateful those days are behind me now. But knowing that MD Anderson will soon be right here, in my own community, brings me so much comfort. 

Nobody does cancer treatment quite like MD Anderson. They don’t just treat your disease — they give you hope and a plan. And when you’re in the middle of something as terrifying as cancer, that’s everything.

Having a world-class cancer center close to home means patients can stay surrounded by their families and friends — people who can show up, sit with them during chemo, and help them through it. To me, that kind of support matters just as much as the medicine. 

A cancer diagnosis is one of the hardest moments of your life. Being able to stay close to home after one, get treated for it with less disruption to your life, and know that you’re still in the right hands will be amazing. Having MD Anderson in Austin is really going to change lives. 

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.