Crystal & Life After Cancer (Part 1)

A few people have asked how Crystal is doing and I thought an update was in order. As many of you know, Crystal was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma when she was 25. She had just received a dream job offer as a meteorologist on a TV station in Virginia Beach and had traveled across the country to accept it. Then the fatigue and night sweats set in.

After a few wrong diagnoses, she was told she had cancer and she was devastated. She took leave from her job and came home for treatment. It was a tough transition as she had not been home since she was 18.

She knew something wasn't right

Crystal joined the Air Force right after high school. This is where she studied meteorology and learned to forecast for the Air Force as well as other branches of the military. She decided to move on 4 years later but stayed on as a reservist. Her first civilian job was for a radio station in Arizona. Then she was offered a job in Wyoming. It was her first TV job as a meteorologist and she was ecstatic. A year later, she was offered the job in Virginia and it was a big jump for her career. It was not long after this she learned about her cancer.

Crystal knew something wasn’t right when the fatigue set in, but she thought it was because of the changes she went through with the move and the early hours of her new job. (She had to wake up at 3 am!) This was tough because she was young and wanted to get out and meet people in her new area. Then the night sweats started and this she couldn’t explain away. Eventually, she went to the doctor, and after being told it was nothing, a second opinion revealed she had Hodgkin lymphoma.

She knew it was time to make a change

After coming home, Crystal had lots of time to do research. She learned how to do youtube videos to keep her viewers and others informed of her progress. She found out how to get wigs, do makeup, and wear scarves to help boost her confidence about her appearance. Crystal learned about queasy drops which helped her to feel better, and about chemo bags. She went on a mission to make chemo bags to donate to others. Her viewers were so inspired that they donated to her cause. The bags Crystal made were donated to people who asked, and then she gave all she had left to the Veteran’s hospital. Needless to say, the VA hospital was grateful.

After getting better, Crystal went back to the station, but it didn’t have the same appeal as it once had. Now, she worried about not getting enough sleep and the stress of the job. Treatments for Crystal weren’t easy and she never wanted to do it again. She really felt stress had a lot to do with her diagnosis and she wanted to be as healthy as she could to heal her body. She knew it was time to make a change, and she did - she made some big ones.

In part two, I will share the job changes, love interests, and the big move coming her way.

Wishing you health & happiness.

Read Part 2 of Crystal & Life After Cancer.