Meet Tori, Hodgkin lymphoma survivor

Summary

Tori, a 35-year-old Atlanta resident, shares her journey with Hodgkin's lymphoma, diagnosed in 2019 and relapsed in 2021. She praises Dr. Kristie Blum at Winship for their attentive care and the autologous stem cell transplant treatment. After experiencing side effects, she was promptly diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Tori's heartfelt thanks to the medical team for their exceptional care and support during her challenging health battles.

Takeaways

• 😊 Tori is a 35-year-old resident of Atlanta, Georgia.
• 😔 Tori was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2019 and relapsed in 2021.
• 🤝 Tori sought treatment from Dr. Kristie Blum at Winship Cancer Institute and immediately felt cared for.
• 💉 The primary treatment for relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma is an autologous stem cell transplant.
• 🛡️ After the transplant, Tori had to receive childhood vaccines again due to a weakened immune system.
• ⚡ Tori experienced tingling and rapid loss of strength, which led to a Guillain-Barre syndrome diagnosis (GBS).
• 🚨 Tori’s GBS was caught quickly after contacting the medical team, who advised an ER visit.
• 🩺 The care team, including Dr. Kristie Blum’s team, provided ongoing support, ensuring all concerns were addressed.
• 🌟 Tori felt truly cared for and acknowledged by the team throughout the treatment process.
• 🙏 Tori expressed deep gratitude to the medical staff for their top-notch care, compassion, and dedication to her recovery.

Q & A

Who is the person speaking in the transcript?

The person speaking is Tori, a 35-year-old woman currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia.

What was Tori diagnosed with in 2019?

Tori was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2019.

What additional diagnosis did Tori receive in 2021?

In 2021, Tori was diagnosed with a second line of relapsed Hodgkin's disease.

Who did Tori seek treatment from for her relapsed Hodgkin's disease?

Tori sought treatment from Dr. Kristie Blum at Winship Cancer Institute.

What treatment did Tori undergo for her relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma?

Tori underwent an autologous stem cell transplant for her relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma.

What side effect did Tori experience after her second round of vaccinations?

After her second round of vaccinations, Tori experienced tingling in her fingertips and rapidly lost her strength.

What additional condition was Tori diagnosed with after reporting her symptoms?

Tori was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) after experiencing tingling and loss of strength.

How did Dr. Kristie Blum's team respond to Tori's diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome?

Dr. Kristie Blum's team checked in on Tori while neurology was handling her case, making sure she was okay and providing support.

How did Tori feel about the care she received from Dr. Kristie Blum and her team?

Tori felt that the care was top-notch, expressing that the team made her feel seen, heard, and cared for during a difficult time.

What was Tori's prognosis after her treatment and diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome?

The prognosis for Tori was great, but she mentioned that the experience was very scary.

Outlines

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🏥 Cancer Journey and Autologous Stem Cell Transplant

Tori, a 35-year-old Atlanta resident, shares her experience with Hodgkin's lymphoma, diagnosed in 2019 and relapsed in 2021. She sought treatment at Winship Cancer Institute with Dr. Kristie Blum, where she felt genuinely cared for and heard. The primary treatment for her relapsed condition was an autologous stem cell transplant, which temporarily depleted her immunity, requiring her to receive childhood vaccines again. After vaccination, she experienced tingling in her fingertips and rapidly losing strength, leading to a Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) diagnosis. Despite the scare, her prognosis is good, and she credits the top-notch care and attention to her unique experience by Dr. Blum's team for her positive outlook.

Keywords

💡Hodgkin's lymphoma

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system. It is characterized by the presence of a particular type of cell known as Reed-Sternberg cells. In the video, Tori was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2019, and later with a relapse in 2021, highlighting the serious and potentially recurring nature of the disease.

💡Relapsed Hodgkin's disease

Relapsed Hodgkin's disease refers to a situation where Hodgkin's lymphoma returns after a period of remission. This indicates that the cancer has not been completely eradicated by the initial treatment. Tori's diagnosis of a second line of relapsed Hodgkin's disease in 2021 is a significant point in the narrative, as it led her to seek further treatment.

💡Winship

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University is a comprehensive cancer center that provides advanced cancer treatment. In the script, Tori mentions setting up an appointment at Winship with Dr. Kristie Blum, indicating her pursuit of specialized care for her relapsed disease.

💡Autologous stem cell transplant

An autologous stem cell transplant is a procedure used to treat certain types of cancer, including Hodgkin's lymphoma, where a patient's own stem cells are used to help restore the blood-producing cells that were destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy. This is the primary treatment mentioned for relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma in the video, and it is a critical part of Tori's treatment journey.

💡Immunity

Immunity refers to the body's defense system against infectious organisms and other invaders. After an autologous stem cell transplant, a patient's immune system is compromised, as indicated by Tori needing to get her childhood vaccines over again. This is a significant aspect of her post-transplant care and highlights the vulnerability she faced.

💡Vaccinations

Vaccinations are the administration of vaccines to provide immunity against certain diseases. In the script, Tori had to get her childhood vaccines again due to her weakened immune system, which is a common practice after a stem cell transplant to protect patients from infections.

💡Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the nervous system. Tori was diagnosed with GBS after her second round of vaccinations, which was a serious complication. This part of the narrative emphasizes the unexpected challenges that can arise during treatment.

💡ER

ER stands for Emergency Room, which is the part of a hospital that provides immediate care for patients with acute conditions. Tori was advised to go to the ER due to her symptoms, which led to the diagnosis of GBS. This illustrates the critical role of prompt medical attention in dealing with health emergencies.

💡Neurology

Neurology is the branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system. In the video, neurology is mentioned as the specialty taking care of Tori after her GBS diagnosis, showing the interdisciplinary approach to her care.

💡Prognosis

Prognosis refers to a doctor's prediction of the likely course and outcome of a disease. Tori mentions that her prognosis is great, which is a positive and hopeful message in the video, indicating that despite the challenges, there is a good chance for recovery.

💡Top-notch care

Top-notch care implies the highest quality of medical treatment. Tori uses this term to describe the level of care she received, emphasizing the personalized and attentive approach of the medical team, which is central to the video's message of gratitude and appreciation.

💡Unique experience

A unique experience refers to a situation that is distinct and different from others. Tori mentions that she felt her treatment was tailored to her unique experience, which underscores the importance of personalized care in addressing individual patient needs.

Highlights

Tori, a 35-year-old woman from Atlanta, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2019.

In 2021, she was diagnosed with relapsed Hodgkin's disease.

She sought treatment at Winship Cancer Institute with Dr. Kristie Blum.

Tori felt cared for and heard from the first day at Winship.

The primary treatment for relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma is an autologous stem cell transplant.

After the transplant, Tori's immune system was compromised.

She had to get her childhood vaccines again due to her weakened immunity.

Tori experienced tingling in her fingertips and rapidly losing strength.

She was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) after a prompt response from Winship's team.

Dr. Kristie Blum's team visited Tori in the hospital to ensure her well-being.

Tori felt the care at Winship was top-notch and tailored to her unique experience.

She expressed gratitude for the high level of care she received.

Tori thanked the team for making her feel seen and heard.

She acknowledged the tough work involved in her treatment.

Tori's prognosis is great despite the scary experience.

Transcripts

(gentle music)

My name is Tori.

I'm 35 years old.

I currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2019, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma,

and then I was diagnosed with second line

of a relapsed Hodgkin's disease in 2021.

I set up an appointment at Winship with Dr. Kristie Blum,

and immediately from the first day,

I felt like they cared for me.

I felt like they were listening to my concerns.

And the primary treatment

for relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma

is what's called an autologous stem cell transplant.

Your body is pretty much rid of your immunity, right?

So I had to get all of my childhood vaccines over again.

I got my second round of vaccinations,

and I started to feel a tingling in my fingertips.

I was losing my strength rapidly,

and I sent a note in the portal and they called me

almost right away and said, "You need to go to the ER,"

and they diagnosed me with Guillain-Barre syndrome,

also known as GBS.

And so I was able to catch it quickly,

but I'll say in the hospital,

Dr. Kristie Blum's team came in.

They said, "We know neurology is on it.

We know that they're taking care of you.

We wanna make sure you're okay."

And that's when I felt like this is different.

They really, really care about their patients.

The good news is that the prognosis is great,

but it was very, very scary.

I would say the level of care was top-notch

because it really felt as though they were treating me

for my unique experience.

Thank you, guys, for taking such good care of me.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for making me feel seen and heard,

and thank you for being you

because this is tough work.