In June 2022, I had just graduated from university, when I was given the most shocking graduation gift ever: a cancer diagnosis of stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This journey has truly tested me physically and emotionally.
It started with symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, and significant weight loss.The path to a diagnosis wasn’t easy, with several misdiagnoses from doctors along the way. At that time, I had suffered a completely collapsed left lung and my resting heart rate exceeded 130 beats per minute. To assess the extent of the disease, I had to go through various procedures. Following my hospitalization, I began intense chemotherapy which initially showed a partial response. Unfortunately, things took a difficult turn during my journey when an end-of-treatment scan in November 2022 revealed disease progression.
This news led to further diagnostic biopsies, and I then received CAR-T cell therapy in early February 2023, which had its own set of complications to deal with. Again, my diagnosis quickly progressed. I will now be undergoing a stem cell transplant soon.
Kim’s LifeList:
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Gaming PC
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Playstation 5
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A trip to San Diego with her family