'one learns to itch where one can scratch'

today i'm radioactive for a PET scan and have to spend some time in solitary confinement. thankfully, my ipod and blackberry are allowed, giving me a good excuse to draft an update and figured i'd start with the back story... in march, while on a girls trip with my virginia tech friends, i started with this chronic itch. i chalked it up as a seasonal allergy that kicked in due to some new allergen in the florida air. while that itch followed me for the next four months, i spent many sleepless nights and frustrated days waiting for allergy season to end. when it did, and my itch didn't, i began appointments with allergists/dermatologists. at the urging of my brilliant, insightful  and medically-inclined mom, i got a second opinion from a dermatologist who ordered a chest x-ray and the rest is history...


i am hoping the next week will reveal a) that this cancer is contained in my chest above my diaphragm, and b) that the suspicion of hodgkin's is confirmed by pathology. i understand that hodgkin's will be a much easier road for me than the other lymphoma alternatives. my radioactive day today will confirm wish a; biopsy next wednesday will confirm wish b.