Alan's Journey

I woke up one morning and found a lump on my neck. I had surgery at South Shore Hospital for complete biopsy. I learned it was Hodkin’s disease. It felt like I went through the whole cycle of shock, crying and anger in ten minutes. I went to Boston for a second opinion, where my diagnosis was confirmed. The doctors there recommended Dr. Rolf Freter, one of the best cancer doctors in my area. It was a relief not to have to drive in and out of Boston for chemo. I had five months of chemo followed by radiation treatments. The convenience during radiation was even more important because I had treatments every day. Telling my wife I had cancer was tough. She was four-months pregnant with our daughter when I was diagnosed. My four-year-old son saw a few things that scared him, like the time I passed out from dehydration. He didn’t understand much except that Dad was sick; the upside was Dad was around more! My brother stayed with us for a while to help. Spending quality time with family becomes more important. The things that really bothered me during treatments was that I couldn’t taste my Thanksgiving dinner. I love to cook. I wanted to enjoy it and I couldn’t. I remember the first time I could taste food again. It was a month after chemo. My new daughter was a few weeks old. It was the best pepperoni pizza I ever had.