Updated December 27th, 2018

Texans’ Andre Hal Back in the Flow of the Game After Facing Cancer Earlier This Year

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In the summer, medicine was dripping into Andre Hal's veins to fight the cancer growing in his blood. By fall he was hurling himself into other massive human beings as a competitor in one of the fastest, most brutal sports on the planet…professional football. The Houston Texans announced that 26-year-old Hal was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June. He had received the diagnosis a month earlier — stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In September, Hal announced that his cancer was in remission. He returned to the field shortly thereafter.

Now that Hal is back on the field, it’s almost unbelievable that he was undergoing cancer treatment just six months ago. Hal credits some complementary treatments for his speedy recovery — he says he made some conscious changes to his diet, started doing yoga, got acupuncture, and relied heavily on his faith. A lot of survivors have told SurvivorNet that things like mindfulness and meditation can make a big difference when dealing with cancer treatment.

Hal was diagnosed after he went to the doctor complaining of blurry vision one day, according to Texans website 247sports.com. Hodgkin’s lymphoma was found in his armpit and abdomen. The typical treatment for stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma is chemotherapy, and sometimes radiation, according to the American Cancer Society. Hal opted out of chemotherapy though, instead choosing to receive a targeted drug called Rituxan.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, a part of the immune system that helps fight infections and disease. The lymphatic system is made up of a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes — and lymphomas are cancers that begin in the lymphocytes. Both Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are pretty rare — though Hodgkin’s is the more rare of the two. Only about 8,000 new cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, according to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Still, Hal is not the only member of the NFL to take on the disease in recent years. James Conner, a running back for the Steelers, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015. Conner is back on the football field this season as well.

When Hal returned to practice with his team in October, he told ESPN that he never gave up hope that he would play ball again. “I knew I was going to play [again]. I just didn’t know when. That’s why I never stopped coming. I never stopped coming to practice, I never stopped working out. I just had a feeling I was going to play again.”

And he was right. Earlier this month, Hal snagged his first interception since returning from his time off. He’s having another great season with the Texans — with no sign of slowing down. Hal said all the love he received from fans and teammates alike made his return to the NFL all that much better. “It’s great. We have some of the best fans in the NFL,” he said. “Seeing them show me love is a great thing. But it’s not just about me, it’s about everyone dealing with stuff, dealing with cancer, dealing with any kind of illness that you can’t overcome.”

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