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  • All Survivor Stories Lillie

Lillie

Survivor

Chicago, IL

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My name is Lillie Cox-Davis and I am a Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer Survivor. I was diagnosed in 2010 at 21 years old. It all started with a swollen knot in my neck, It was there for a few months and I thought nothing of it because it didn't hurt or wasn't bothering me. After being pestered by family I finally decided to go to the doctor and get it checked out, they ran many test and everything came back negative. The doctor suggested I allow them to do a biopsy for further testing, I agreed, the results came back that I had Hodgkin Lymphoma. I was shocked and afraid because I really didn't think it was that serious. I had so many questions Am I going to die? How sick will these treatments make me? Will I need radiation? What about my children? I was a Mother to two small children, one of which was only 9 months. I went to Mercy Hospital and had a port put in my chest for the chemotherapy and was told I couldn't pick my baby up for two weeks until my port healed. That was hard for me because I loved carrying my baby around and holding him as I fed him that was how we bonded. Two weeks later I started receiving my treatments which would become 12 rounds of chemo over a period of 5 months. After those treatments I thought everything was fine and I was finally cured because after the Doctors at Mercy Hospital gave me a scan they never said anything else. About a year later I decided to call and ask for my medical records just to find out I was never cured. The Cancer had spread from my neck to my chest and my side. I was so upset and no longer wanted to receive any treatments at Mercy so they referred me to Rush University Medical Center. In 2012 I started my treatments at Rush which was the best decision I ever made. The doctors were excellent and laid everything out for me from beginning to end. I receive 6 chemo treatments and then was told I would need a Stem Cell Transplant and would have to stay in the hospital for a month. Stem Cell Transplants were still fairly new in the United States but I was reassured that it was what I needed to have. This was a lot to take in I was very sad, I had never been away from my children for more than a day and now I would have to be away from them for a month because my immune system would be too low to have children around. The first week in the hospital I got my stem cells removed and got an extensive chemo treatment. It was twice a day for 7 days, I was so weak from the medication that I lost about 10 pounds, lost all taste, lost color (my skin turned really dark), and began to lose my hair. I got my stem cells put back in and the next three weeks in the hospital were to build my immune system back up, at least to the point where I could go home. After a long month I was finally able to go home and see my children again. Following my hospital release I had to see the doctor every three months for one year to get CT Scans to make sure the cancer was gone. For the next two years I would see the doctor every six months and once a year after that. I was told that I may not be able to have children but in November 2014 I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Through all of this I continued to work a full time job, and still did my everyday motherly duties. I always kept my upbeat attitude and a lot of people never knew I was going through chemo because my work ethic never changed. It is now September 2017 and it has been 5 years since I've been cancer free, I would like to thank God and I am grateful for the Staff at Rush Hospital because they always made sure I was doing great and that they were doing all they could for me. I am grateful for my family and friends that were there to support me in every way possible. This has been a long journey and I had so much help and support that I would love to give some help and support to other cancer patients that is why I decided to take donations for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
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The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services.

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