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Statistically speaking, I shouldn¡¯t be alive today. Since being diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 27, I¡¯ve suffered two relapses. I¡¯ve also had two stem cell transplants, 33 bone marrow biopsies, 186 CT scans and countless rounds of chemotherapy.

You might think I wouldn¡¯t enjoy a very good quality of life because of all that. But you¡¯d be wrong. I¡¯m an active, energetic, healthy 41-year-old. I¡¯m also a wife and the mother of two beautiful children, ages 11 and 9.

I do have some side effects from my cancer treatment, such as fatigue and recurrent sinus infections. But overall, my life today is full and happy. And I have MD Anderson to thank for it.

My first non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis

At the time of my first cancer diagnosis, I was in the best shape of my life. It was November 2004, and just a few months prior, I¡¯d run my fastest marathon yet in San Diego. I was also in the process of training to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Then, while getting the necessary vaccinations and bloodwork done for my upcoming trip to Africa, I discovered that my platelets were at a life-threateningly low level. Within 18 hours, I was diagnosed with stage IV follicular lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. And all my plans changed.

My non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment

As a native Texan who grew up in San Antonio, I knew about MD Anderson¡¯s amazing reputation. So there was never really a discussion as to where I¡¯d go for my lymphoma treatment.

My doctors there started me on chemotherapy right away, as my cancer was very aggressive and already widespread. Fortunately, I responded well to it, and after eight rounds of ¡°R-CHOP¡± chemotherapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone), my cancer went into remission.

My husband and I got married, then moved to California for a job opportunity. Once settled, we immediately met with a local fertility specialist to freeze some embryos. We were both very aware that my cancer could come back at any time. And if that happened, I¡¯d probably need a stem cell transplant, which would make it unlikely we¡¯d conceive naturally.

My first non-Hodgkin lymphoma relapse

Sure enough, the lymphoma returned just eight months later. My husband and I flew back to Houston to meet with Dr. Borje Andersson in MD Anderson¡¯s Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Center. He recommended a stem cell transplant. Luckily, my brother was a perfect tissue-type match, so I got my first stem cell donation from him. It went very well.

Eight months later, my husband and I decided to implant one of our embryos. That resulted in our daughter Ellie. Much to our surprise, I conceived again naturally just a year and a half later. Our son Tommy was born in January 2010.

My second non-Hodgkin relapse

Once my pregnancy belly started to fade, one fateful look in the mirror revealed what had previously been hidden: swollen lymph nodes in my groin. My cancer was back for a third time. Only now, I had a two-year-old and a five-week-old to think about.

My husband and I flew back to Houston. We knew my treatment options would be more limited, but we trusted Dr. Andersson to find the best one available. And he did.

Dr. Andersson recommended a small clinical trial that was showing great success with patients whose cancer had relapsed. I met all the participation criteria, so I joined the trial. I had five more rounds of high-dose chemotherapy (busulfan and fludarabine), followed by a second stem cell transplant on July 5, 2010. Then I received cyclophosphamide by IV to prevent graft-versus-host disease.

The second transplant worked even better than the first. Because I¡¯ve been cancer-free ever since.

What makes MD Anderson special

MD Anderson has saved my life three times, so I always knew it was a special place. But it wasn¡¯t until last summer that I truly understood why.

My family and I were there in July 2018 for my annual check-up. When we finished, it was late in the day, and the sun was setting. But Dr. Andersson saw the football in my young son¡¯s hands and asked if he wanted to throw the ball around. The hallways were empty, so they played together for about 10 minutes. And that is the moment I truly understood the magic of MD Anderson.

By this point, Dr. Andersson already seemed like a part of our family. But when he took the time to play with my son ¡ª after he¡¯d just worked a full day ¡ª I knew that he actually was.

And it¡¯s because of him and all the other amazing doctors, nurses and staff at MD Anderson that my husband still has a wife, my children still have a mom and my heart has a home.

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