BRYCE CALLAWAY: My name is Bryce Callaway. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in the spring of 1999. First, I was--I felt and found a lump in my neck and thought that maybe it's just--it was a lymph node. Sometimes when you get sick, you get a swollen lymph node. But it didn't go down after a week or two so I finally went to the doctor. They said it was Hodgkin's lymphoma. I remember distinctly because all my family was in the room with me when it happened. They were just kind of--I was kind of stunned but didn't really know how to react, but I had a good support system with my family being there and because some of them were out of town--living out of town at that time. I had five weeks of radiation treatment from the mid abdomen to the bottom, the top of my neck, the bottom part of my chin, and it was--it wouldn't have been too bad other than I got a sunburn from it and it upsetted my stomach. I found out I had a lot bigger support system than I really thought. I had told my college professors that I was going through radiation treatments and a lot of them were telling their church members that they needed to pray for me, and my family was great and they were all constantly praying for me and asking me how I was doing. But most of all, I just had to have faith in God and just faith that you can get through it and just keep pressing on. First of all, just check yourself often for lumps. This can be for men and women in different places. If you suspect Hodgkin's, definitely check your lymph nodes and your neck, under your armpits, in the groin, and stuff like that. But if you've had it, make sure you get regular check-ups usually six months to a year by an oncologist. If you have Hodgkin's lymphoma, it's less aggressive than cancer so you don't have to worry about aggressive, harsh treatments. The treatment can be harsh, but it's not near as intense as some other cancers. But just get through it, just invite your friends and family to support you and just let them know how you're feeling a lot of times. A lot of times I was very silent and then let them know what was really going on, but they have to go through it, too, with you and they appreciate knowing what's going on.
