Twenty Years and Counting...
Many of you here in Massachusetts might not know I am
a cancer survivor. In fact, this September will mark twenty years since my non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma diagnosis. Below is my story. After reading it, please click on over
to my fundraising page here and sponsor
me for the Harbor to the Bay. For those who lived through it with me, you have
heard it all before so you can stop reading now and just donate.
In the spring of 2001, I went to the doctor to see what was wrong with me. I hadn't been feeling quite right for a while and just thought I had a sinus infection. My doctor agreed with me and put me on antibiotics.
A week later, I had an allergic reaction to the medication and was told to stop taking it. I felt a bit better and so I just went on with my life. After another month, my tonsils started to swell up and my ears plugged up. I went back to the doctor who then decided I had tonsillitis. I was put on another set of antibiotics which I also caused an allergic reaction. After that, I was tested for a number of things; from diabetes to syphilis (?!?). A needle biopsy was taken of the swollen lymph nodes in my neck. The results came back "inconclusive." They decided once again on tonsillitis and the remedy would be a tonsillectomy.
By this time, my tonsils were swollen to the point where I could not eat. The space between them was the size of an ink pen. They expected to do a tracheotomy during the surgery so I would not suffocate. Three days before my scheduled surgery, one of my tonsils abscessed, postponing the surgery and probably saving my life. The head ENT at Kaiser Permanente in SF took one look at me and asked why no one had taken a piece of the tonsil itself for a biopsy.
On September 12, 2001, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma-6 months after my diagnosis of a "sinus infection."
In the spring of 2001, I went to the doctor to see what was wrong with me. I hadn't been feeling quite right for a while and just thought I had a sinus infection. My doctor agreed with me and put me on antibiotics.
A week later, I had an allergic reaction to the medication and was told to stop taking it. I felt a bit better and so I just went on with my life. After another month, my tonsils started to swell up and my ears plugged up. I went back to the doctor who then decided I had tonsillitis. I was put on another set of antibiotics which I also caused an allergic reaction. After that, I was tested for a number of things; from diabetes to syphilis (?!?). A needle biopsy was taken of the swollen lymph nodes in my neck. The results came back "inconclusive." They decided once again on tonsillitis and the remedy would be a tonsillectomy.
By this time, my tonsils were swollen to the point where I could not eat. The space between them was the size of an ink pen. They expected to do a tracheotomy during the surgery so I would not suffocate. Three days before my scheduled surgery, one of my tonsils abscessed, postponing the surgery and probably saving my life. The head ENT at Kaiser Permanente in SF took one look at me and asked why no one had taken a piece of the tonsil itself for a biopsy.
On September 12, 2001, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma-6 months after my diagnosis of a "sinus infection."
The gallium scan showed I had tumors covering my sinus
cavity, in my tonsils, across my chest and in most of my lymph nodes. I was
given a 30% chance of survival. I refused to accept those odds.
I was admitted to the hospital the next morning and immediately started on a protocol of chemotherapy and a drug called Rituxan. I will from this point forward refer to Rituxan as my miracle drug. Within 24 hours, the swelling in my tonsils went down, allowing me to hear and breath again. I went through 15 weeks of treatment and more than one trip to the emergency room. There were many times I thought I wouldn't make it out of that emergency room, but I refused to give in. When the doctors took another gallium scan at about week 13, there was not a trace of the cancer left in my body. The doctors were so astounded that I became a case study for the CA tumor board. I am happy to say I have been cancer free for twenty years.
I was admitted to the hospital the next morning and immediately started on a protocol of chemotherapy and a drug called Rituxan. I will from this point forward refer to Rituxan as my miracle drug. Within 24 hours, the swelling in my tonsils went down, allowing me to hear and breath again. I went through 15 weeks of treatment and more than one trip to the emergency room. There were many times I thought I wouldn't make it out of that emergency room, but I refused to give in. When the doctors took another gallium scan at about week 13, there was not a trace of the cancer left in my body. The doctors were so astounded that I became a case study for the CA tumor board. I am happy to say I have been cancer free for twenty years.
I’ve decided to mark the occasion by participating in a duathlon on September
19th and will be fundraising for this as part Harbor to the Bay Your
Way.
Harbor to the Bay is normally a 125-mile bike ride from Boston to
Provincetown, but in light of the continued coronavirus pandemic, will be
occurring as a virtual event this year. I will be participating as a member of
Team CRI.
COMMUNITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE (CRI)
is an independent, nonprofit, community-based organization dedicated to leading
the way in HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C clinical research; ensuring access to
lifesaving medications and health insurance coverage for Massachusetts
residents in need who are HIV-positive, at risk for HIV, have tuberculosis, or
who have other infectious diseases; and disseminating state-of-the-art
treatment information and education about how to access and maintain health
insurance and health benefits coverage for people in need.
My goal is to raise $2,000 for CRI through
Harbor to the Bay. As they continue providing critical services and care during
the COVID-19 pandemic, this fundraising will be vital to CRI’s operations. I
ask that you consider making a contribution of $20 to my
campaign. Because Harbor to the Bay is an all-volunteer organization, 100% of
your donation will support the many patients who depend on CRI for
quality health care, medications, and support services.
To donate towards my goal, you can donate online by visiting my fundraising
page https://www.harbortothebay.org/profile/KJHudson50.
Thank you so much for your consideration and support!
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