Abby Custer was a healthy, active 36-year-old, who exercised five days a week at her local gym, ate nutritious meals and enjoyed keeping up with her niece and nephews as 鈥淎unt Abby.鈥
Then, last summer, finishing workouts became a challenge.
鈥淚 was so exhausted, anxious and lost a significant amount of weight,鈥 says Abby, who had just moved to Chicago from Boston. 鈥淭hen at the end of August, my neck started bothering me and my veins on my left shoulder did not look normal.鈥
A primary care provider suggested she see a shoulder specialist, but Abby knew it was more urgent than that. On Sept. 2, she went to the emergency room at Rush Oak Park Hospital, where she received an ultrasound, an EKG and CT scan.
The results showed that she had a buildup of fluid around her heart, multiple blood clots from her neck to her elbow on her left side, and a 5-inch mass in her chest.
That night, she was transferred to 海角原创.
Finding a diagnosis
The next morning, Abby was prepped for a biopsy.
鈥淚鈥檇 never been in a hospital before, so it was all a bit overwhelming and scary. But then walked in and said to me, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to figure this out. You rest and eat. It鈥檚 you and me 鈥 I got you,鈥欌 Abby says. 鈥淪he was confident and reassuring.鈥
Geissen, a thoracic surgeon at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center, performed a biopsy of Abby鈥檚 mass and drained the fluid around her heart.
A week later, Abby was diagnosed with B-cell, non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It鈥檚 the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes.
鈥淎ll the signs were there. I just never imagined hearing the words 鈥榊ou have cancer,鈥 especially in my 30s,鈥 Abby says. 鈥淚n that moment, all I could think about were my niece and five nephews 鈥 all under the age of five 鈥 that wouldn鈥檛 remember me.鈥
Getting a care team in place
The next day, Abby met with , a hematologist at RUSH MD Anderson.
鈥淎bby came in for arm pain, but she also had a large mass in her chest. That doesn鈥檛 develop overnight. It had likely been growing for three to six months. She also had fluid around her heart that normally affects heart function,鈥 Venugopal says. 鈥淚 think it shows that she was young and otherwise healthy, and that鈥檚 why she was able to tolerate it for so long.鈥
After additional testing, Venugopal confirmed Abby鈥檚 cancer was stage 4 with an aggressive subtype 鈥 and there was no time to waste.
鈥淟ymphomas that are aggressive are actually more curable,鈥 Venugopal says. 鈥淏ut just because it鈥檚 more curable doesn鈥檛 mean we wait and watch. We tend to recommend starting intensive treatment right away.鈥
In early October, Abby began the first of six rounds of inpatient chemotherapy with immunotherapy. By November, Abby had a PET scan that confirmed that she was responding well to treatment.
She completed her final round of chemo in late January, and her niece and three of her nephews 鈥 who live in Glen Ellyn 鈥 were able to visit her on her final day in the hospital.
鈥淢y niece and nephews knew I would come to the hospital for medicine to make me strong again,鈥 Abby says. 鈥淢y nurses would ask about them by name. It was so special having them there.鈥
A setback
Abby was doing so well her doctors鈥 initial impression was that she might not need any further treatment. So she went back to her gym and resumed her normal routines.
But in March, her follow-up PET scan results suggested there were remaining active cancer cells in her chest that needed additional treatment. So , a radiation oncologist at RUSH MD Anderson, recommended radiation to help put Abby in remission.
鈥淚 appreciated how receptive Abby was to the conversation about radiation, even though it wasn鈥檛 the news she wanted to hear,鈥 Marwaha says. 鈥淪he was committed to being aggressive and doing everything possible to get rid of the cancer.鈥欌
So, Abby continued her treatment.
鈥淭rying to work hard for a body that鈥檚 failing you is challenging, but I didn鈥檛 want to disappoint myself or my doctors,鈥 Abby says. 鈥淒r. Marwaha and his team were so kind. I asked a lot of questions, and they answered them all with such grace and care.鈥
Abby completed 20 radiation treatments over four weeks on April 21, marking her last day of radiation and the end of her cancer treatment.
By late June, Abby was officially in remission.
Finding joy and gratitude
Venugopal and Marwaha agree that Abby鈥檚 positive outlook played an important role in her treatment.
鈥淎bby had an endearing and upbeat attitude towards life and overcoming cancer from the beginning. She was always smiling and motivated,鈥 Marwaha says. 鈥淢y whole team really loved her, and we鈥檙e grateful for her trust in us.鈥
Abby鈥檚 advice for others going through a similar experience: 鈥淔ind joy and gratitude.鈥
鈥淓ach day is hard and it can be lonely. But remember to give yourself grace and create your own joy,鈥 Abby says. 鈥淎nd keep treatment as bite-sized as you can. Take it one day at a time, one appointment at a time and one blood draw at a time. Every step forward is something to be proud of.鈥
She鈥檚 immensely grateful, meanwhile, to everyone who cared for her at RUSH MD Anderson, including Venugopal, Marwaha, Geissen, , and the nurses and staff on the hospital鈥檚 hematology-oncology floor.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have dreamed of a more compassionate, caring team. They were my backbone and brought me hope every single day. The days I felt so weak, they reminded me how strong I was. They knew I had a lot of life left in me,鈥 she says. 鈥淭o my team: From the bottom of my heart, thank you 鈥 you saved my life.鈥
For more information about lymphoma care at RUSH MD Anderson, or to make an appointment, visit us online or call (312) CANCER-1.
