<p>I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma around Christmas 2 years ago. I had to take 6 long, awful months of chemotherapy. </p>
<p>My husband left me and my son halfway through chemo, when I found out he had been cheating on me the whole 2 years we were married. I'm a 22 year old single mom now, and I'm in remission. I'm going back to school, and my hair is getting longer. The most tragic part of cancer was losing my hair. At first I told the doctor that I would rather die than lose my hair, and was very serious, and was going to try some home remedies on it. But my family convinced me that I needed to go through with it. Now that my hair is back, I'm glad I did it. I'm so glad it's over, and life is back to normal! I pray to God it doesn't come back. If it does, I will have to have a bone marrow transplant. That sounds really painful, and way more horrible than chemo. I am majoring in Biology at the University of Central Oklahoma now. I am making all A's so far. If I graduate with a high GPA, I will go to medical school. I really want to become a pediatric oncologist. That's where my heart is really at now. Before cancer, my major was fashion design. Now I all I want to do help kids who have cancer. If there's anyone who has just been diagnosed, and is scared, and needs someone to talk to, you can call me. I remember how awful it was, feeling like my life was over, and I was going to die. I really want help. I know what you are going through, please call or email me if you feel like you need someone to talk to who has been through it. In a way I am glad it happened to me, since I came out alive. It has made me soooo much stronger. Instead of crying about not having new designer clothes and bags all the time, I was crying because I thought I was going to die. It really broadened my perspective, and hit me really hard on the head with reality. I needed that I think. I'm a completely different, stronger and more mature girl now. Everything happens for a reason. And everyone has thier own different struggles to deal with in life. God doesn't give you something you can't take. I think if you have cancer, it means you are really strong inside, and you can take it. It is hard, but you really can do it, and you will come out stronger =) If you can beat cancer, what else really is there to be scared of after that? I'm not scared of very many things anymore. <a href="mailto:yoshimioshiro@aol.com">yoshimioshiro@aol.com</a></p>