21-Year-Old College Student Diagnosed With Rare Form Of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma After Dismissing Symptoms As UTI

After antibiotics from an urgent care near her school in Ypsilanti, Michigan failed to help—and she developed fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite—prompting her primary care doctor ordered a CT scan.

When the scan appeared normal, a urogynecologist (a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating pelvic floor conditions) later noticed swollen lymph nodes during a pelvic exam and sent her to the emergency room for additional treatment and testing. After a week without improvement, a biopsy revealed she had a form of blood cancer.

When Operacz did not respond to the initial course of chemotherapy, doctors ordered more tests at the hospital, which revealed the cancer had spread to her brain and central nervous system. Her family then sought care from a hematologist-oncologist, who specialized in T-cell lymphoma treatment, at the Cleveland Clinic.

RELATED: 7 Sneaky Symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma

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Operacz told Cleveland Clinic, “I was on a lot of medication, in constant pain, and very out of it. My parents said I was in the hospital for a month. The strong chemo did more harm than good. It was very scary.”

Her doctor told Cleveland Clinic, that the next step of treatment was a type of targeted therapy with a drug called Alectinib (brand name Alecensa) which is usually used to treat lung cancer.

She was prescribed four targeted therapy pills in the morning and again in the evening for four months.

The treatment proved effective—after that time, a PET scan showed she was in complete remission.

Operacz later required a bone marrow transplant and was fortunate to be matched with her older sister as the donor.

Her sister Sara, who was the perfect match, told CBS News, “I’m the oldest sibling, and being the only match felt like this was meant to be, like it was my responsibility.

“There was zero doubt in my mind. Not a single moment of fear or regret. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would do it a 100 times over if it meant saving her.”

Following Operacz’s recovery, she graduated from Eastern Michigan in December 2025 and was accepted into Cleveland State University’s online graduate program in social work, with plans to become a licensed social worker.

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“Now, I can give back. I can help those going through something similar to me; I can relate to them,” she told Cleveland Clinic.

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“I’m feeling great, and I’m heading in the right direction.”

Operacz, who began her graduation program this year, also told CBS News, “I felt like I could resonate with it and helping people would be like my way of giving back, because of all the help I received throughout my treatment.

“I realized that, yeah, I miss the old me, but I can’t hold on to that. I just gotta focus on building a new Emma.”

WATCH: Dr. Jason Westin explains symptoms associated with lymphoma

Understanding the Types of Lymphomas

Hodgkin Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are the two main types of lymphoma, and their classification depends on the type of white blood cells and the presence (or absence) of Reed-Sternberg cells.

They are both cancers of the lymphatic system, which includes lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and other immune tissues. They’re symptoms can overlap, including swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss. However, the way they are treated may vary.

WATCH: Dr. Jason Westin explains symptoms associated with lymphoma

If doctors are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell (a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes), then the lymphoma is categorized as Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, if Reed-Sternberg cells are present, the lymphoma is diagnosed as Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Lymphoma treatment largely depends on the nature of your specific diagnosis.

For non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, their cancer is more likely to spread randomly and be discovered in different groups of lymph nodes in the body.

Hodgkin lymphoma cancers, on the other hand, are more likely to grow consistently from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.

WATCH: The type of lymphoma you have matters

B-Cell vs. T-Cell Lymphoma

Doctors classify non-Hodgkin lymphoma based on the type of lymphocytes affected:

• B-cell lymphomas account for nearly 85% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. These cancers originate in cells responsible for producing antibodies that identify and fight infections.
• T-cell lymphomas, making up 15% of cases, arise in T-cells, which directly attack harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses.

Identifying whether the lymphoma is B-cell or T-cell helps guide treatment options tailored to the disease’s behavior and progression.

Types of B-Cell Lymphoma

• Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
• Follicular lymphoma
• Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) / Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
• Mantle cell lymphoma
• Marginal zone lymphomas
• Burkitt lymphoma

Types of T-Cell Lymphoma

• T-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia
• Peripheral T-cell lymphomas
• Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
• Aggressive vs. Indolent (slow-growing) Lymphomas

One of the key distinctions doctors make when diagnosing non-Hodgkin lymphoma is how rapidly the cancer grows and spreads.

• Indolent (slow-growing) lymphomas tend to develop over time and may not require immediate aggressive treatment.
• Aggressive lymphomas spread quickly and need intensive treatment to prevent further progression.

Dr. Jennifer Crombie, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously explained to SurvivorNet that understanding whether the lymphoma is indolent or aggressive is essential, as they require very different treatment approaches.

What Treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Looks Like?

Lymphoma treatment largely depends on the nature of your specific diagnosis. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, their cancer is more likely to spread randomly and be discovered in different groups of lymph nodes in the body. Hodgkin lymphoma cancers, on the other hand, are more likely to grow consistently from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.

WATCH: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment options

“There are some lymphomas that are very treatable but not curable,” Dr. Lawrence Piro told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

Dr. Lawrence Piro is the President and CEO of The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute in Los Angeles, a Cedars-Sinai affiliate. He adds that some lymphomas progress quickly if left untreated.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment depends on the type, stage, and how fast it grows. People with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma can expect to get a chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP, which is a drug cocktail consisting of chemotherapy drugs plus an antibody drug and a steroid to treat diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

R-CHOP stands for:

• R: Rituximab (Rituxan) is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to a specific protein called CD20, which sits on the surface of B cells. It targets cancerous cells and destroys them.
• C: Cyclophosphamide is a type of chemotherapy drug
• D: Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
• V: Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
• P: Prednisone is a steroid that lowers inflammation

Patients receiving R-CHOP receive the drug in six cycles that are three weeks apart.

“R-CHOP is a cocktail of drugs. There are five different drugs in that recipe,” Dr. Jennifer Crombie, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet.

Immunotherapy and targeted therapy are also treatment options for non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

Rituximab (Rituxan) was the first immunotherapy drug approved to treat some forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “Rituximab is the immunotherapy that has been approved the longest, and we have the most experience with lymphoma,” Dr. Chong tells SurvivorNet.

Rituxan has side effects, including fever, chills, swelling under the skin, itching, and mild shortness of breath.

Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) is a relatively new targeted treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. This drug is an antibody-drug conjugate that combines an antibody (a type of protein that recognizes foreign substances in the body) with a drug that treats cancer. It uses a particular protein to deliver medicine directly to the cancer cell.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can also be treated with radiation, which aims beams of intense energy at the cancer to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing.

Staying Grateful Amid Battling Disease

After a diagnosis, it’s understandably extremely difficult to feel grateful for, well, maybe anything. However, studies prove that patients who are able to stay uplifted and positive often have better treatment outcomes. That’s why mindset and attitude can be extremely valuable tools.

RELATED: Patients Do Better When They are Less Stressed

“The patients who do well with cancer, they live life with gratitude in terms of everything,” Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.

“They’re grateful, not for cancer, but they’re grateful for an opportunity to know that life is finite. They live life with [saying] ‘I love you’ to their husband, to their wife, to their kids. They can appreciate it for one of the first times ever because they know it may not be forever that they get to do this. Those are the patients that tend to do well with processing and also living a long, long life despite a diagnosis.”

Dr. Zuri Murrell explains why patients who have gratitude can do well during treatment

Although studies show how important it is to find some positivity during a cancer battle, that’s much easier said than done.

In addition to tackling treatment, people often juggle an overwhelming number of emotions including anxiety, anger, fear, and sadness.

There can be a lot of pressure linked to a cancer diagnosis, and colon cancer survivor Kate Bowler knows this first-hand.

 

When Bowler was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, she started to resent how some people expected her to remain positive despite going through something traumatic.

She told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview that she refers to this as “bright-siding,” and she felt immense pressure while discussing her diagnosis with friends and family, especially since she was deeply rooted in a spiritual community.

RELATED: ‘The Eye of the Tiger’ Why Mindset and Lifestyle are So Important During Treatment

“I hate the bright siding, because I would never want someone who’s suffering to feel the burden of positivity,” Bowler told SurvivorNet.

“People want me to reassure them that my cancer is all part of a plan. We want to live in a world in which nothing is lost. I think faith was a bit tricky for me.”

Still, Bowler eventually found a supportive community that helped her get through treatment without feeling pressured to stay positive.

Colon cancer survivor Kate Bowler says she felt pressured to look on the bright side during treatment

Questions for Your Doctor

If you are dealing with a lymphoma diagnosis, it’s important to ask your doctor a series of questions so you will have an idea of what your next steps will look like. To help you during this difficult time, SurvivorNet has some questions to kickstart your conversation with your physician.

• What type of lymphoma do I have?
• What does my pathology report say about my diagnosis?
• Should I get a second opinion before I explore possible treatment options?
• Based on my diagnosis, what do you anticipate my treatment path?
• What common side effects should I expect when I begin treatment?
• Will I be able to continue working and performing normal daily activities during treatment?
• Where can I get help working with the insurance company regarding treatment costs?
• Who do you recommend I get mental health help from during my treatment?

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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