“How Did This Happen?”

I’ve had to explain how I figured out I had this enough times to know it would just be easier to write it on here…Beware; this isn’t some climatic or intense story. Really I just went to the doctor a couple of time until they ran the right tests and they decided to diagnose me with cancer.

A little over a month ago I showed my mom and friends couple of area where my lymph nodes were swollen. Being the naive and clueless college student I thought this was normal until everyone seemed concerned and told me to get them checked out. From there I went to see a surgeon at Good Samaritan one of the weekends I came home where he told me that I shouldn’t be concerned (lol amiright?!) unless they got bigger or started to hurt which in that case he would suggest running labs and potentially resorting to a biopsy.

About a week after that I started feeling sick with a sinus infection (mind you with having had cancer of my immune system I have basically been sick with random illnesses throughout the past year). I decided to stop by the IU Health Center where I was tested for mono as well at strep…obviously both came back negative. However, the doctor decided to prescribe me antibiotics to potentially help my lymph nodes decrease in size. After seven days of antibiotics twice a day not only were my lymph nodes the same amount of swollen they had been when I started the drugs, but a mysterious lump had formed on the left side of my neck (super attractive obviously).

It was then that my mom was concerned and wanted me to come home the next week to see my primary care doctor on Friday before I was to leave Saturday afternoon for Haiti since third world countries really aren’t known for their rockstar healthcare or anything. Anyway, I went to see the doc and he felt the lymph nodes that are scattered throughout my body and suggested I go to the hospital to get a ctscan to see what was up. My mom’s best friend, Angie Beckes, is a radiologist at that hospital (lucky us I know). and we were in that day with results released and looked at that night. With three partners looked at the scan there were three different reports; Angie was having a hard time not taking this personal so she never commented, one said that I could still end up having so weird, freaky, random infection that they just don’t know about yet (really promising sounding I know), and the last radiologist said that he had never seen a scan as bad as mine that wasn’t some form of Lymphoma. As you can tell, things were just looking dandy and bright for me that night and I was told they were going to squeeze in a biopsy the next morning before I left.

The next morning I went into the hospital where my mom and I made it clear I was still going to Haiti because if I had cancer then it would still be there once I got back. I gave the doctor consent to tell my mom the results and then informed my mom that I wanted her to call an international number when she heard the news because I wanted to know regardless if I was thousand miles away or not.

That afternoon I got on the first plane and landed Sunday morning in Haiti. Tuesday rolled along and at four pm I got my mom’s call telling me I have t-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Now it was was my plan to stay in Haiti since those three days were some of the most challenging yet inspiring moments of my life. However, the doctors were worried about some risk for emergency surgery which as you can imagine, a third world country cannot provide, so I was on a plan the next morning to come home and in the hospital the morning following that where I have been just having a grand ole time.

If you read that whole novel props to you but just remember I warned you it wouldn’t be some climactic cancer story that makes you cry. Thanks for standing by me and showing me all this love and support. I truly do appreciate every person who has reached out to me to make me feel just a little bit better.

Cancer is Stupid,

Katie

18 thoughts on ““How Did This Happen?””

Katie…this is your neighbor Mrs Kastner but you should call me Stephanie from this day forward…you’re not a little girl anymore, and might I add that you are a completely gifted writer! I just read all of your posts so far (couldn’t help it…your humor had me!) You know from a mother’s perspective, I completely understand what you are going through. Stay strong and keep that sense of humor. We are praying for you and your family, and when the steroids kick in, feel free to contact me with your cravings…believe me, they’ll be many! And you’ll be sick of hospital food by then. One night when Henry was on Prednisone, he wanted spicy chicken wings, and he doesn’t even like chicken! I will be happy to deliver anything you want! Your mom has my # so just have her text me. Seriously! Cancer sucks, but you will beat this!

Prayers and hugs!
~Stephanie Kastner

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18 thoughts on ““How Did This Happen?””

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