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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

The Day That Changed My Life - Stage 4 No More

After being diagnosed with pneumonia, Iva had a follow up visit with her doctor merely to be given the all clear so that she may return to her classes. Understandably, Iva was not prepared to here anything more or different about her diagnosis - but there was more to it, much more. It was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and it was at stage 4. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer that affects the lymph tissue. Lymph tissue can be found in the lymph nodes, spleen, and other organs of the immune system.

Symptoms
**Abdominal pain or swelling, leading to loss of appetite, constipation, nausea, and vomiting
**Coughing or shortness of breath if the cancer affects the thymus gland or lymph nodes in the chest, putting pressure on the windpipe (trachea) or other airways
**Fever and chills that come and go
**Headache, concentration problems, personality changes, or seizures if the cancer affects the brain
**Itching
**Night sweats (soaking the bedsheets and pajamas even though the room temperature is not too hot)
**Weight loss

While each journey is unique, we all share a common theme - cancer changes our lives forever.

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