Callum Boyd was 21 and finishing college when he noticed swelling in his neck. "I was always a bit run down at the end of term," he told Yahoo UK. "I had a cold and a sore throat, so I wasn't too concerned.” But then his symptoms worsened.
"I had a high fever and felt absolutely exhausted. I noticed the lump again, it felt really sore and tender, and I noticed a few more swellings in my neck,” Boyd recalled. “Then I developed drenching night sweats, which is really unusual for me."
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To see a specialist, the British medical system required Boyd to return to his original doctor for more bloodwork. After appointment delays, he finally saw a hematologist — three months after his initial symptoms. "My hematologist had said, 'It might be Hodgkin lymphoma. If it is I will come up with a treatment plan and treat you'."
After blood tests, scans, and a biopsy, Boyd was correctly diagnosed. He underwent six months of chemotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma.
Advocating For Youth With Cancer
Four years after his successful treatment, Boyd speaks up for young adults undergoing cancer treatment through the UK-based Teenage Cancer Trust.
During his own cancer journey, he was particularly surprised by the self-image issues cancer brings — and how male patients receive little counseling on the impact hair-loss or weight changes. “During the consenting to chemo appointment, hair loss was barely mentioned,” he
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recalls. “And I thought ‘why?’ "When you look at yourself in the mirror and you haven't got any hair, it just keeps reinforcing the fact that you are not well," he said., adding, “wigs shouldn’t be seen as something that are only for young women.”
Boyd also experienced dramatic weight loss. “I had people saying ‘Callum, you look really well’ which is hard to accept,” he said. “Body image issues during treatment affects men too. A cancer diagnosis is life-changing — but not everything has to change, it might come in a different form but it’s still important to keep hold of them.”
What Is Hodgkin Lymphoma?
Lymphomas are cancers that begin in a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. The two main types of lymphomas are Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin. Hodgkin lymphomas typically begin in a part of the lymph system called B cells, according to the American Cancer Society, which make proteins called antibodies that help protect the body from germs.
The disease is rare, but it is the most common cancer diagnosed in teens aged 15 to 19. Chemotherapy and radiation are the most common treatments used for Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the American Cancer Society. Depending on the severity of the disease, the two treatment methods may be used separately or together.
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