I am not exactly sure what I meant by that last statement, but I learned that women's reproductive rights aren't just assumed by health-care providers.  To be more specific, there is so much red tape when it comes to meeting with a reproductive specialist.  I did some research on-line and found a well-known reproductive practice in Manhattan, Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York(RMANY).  I went about the business of calling the facility and scheduling an appointment.  I was impressed with the ease of this process.  I was well on my way and checking off all of the tasks on my pre-treatment to do list.  That was until I received the confirmation letter from RMANY.  They confirmed my appointment and the $350 consultation fee.  I called immediately and questioned the fee and asked if they accepted insurance.  This facility, like most, does not accept any insurance so you are completely out-of-pocket.  I swiftly cancelled this appointment and had to regroup and look for another In-Network reproduction specialist. 

I came across a Dr. Barbara Shortle.  She is a member of my network and an OBGYN professional as well.  I made an appointment and went to see her.  I arrived at the office and completed the new patient paperwork and paid my co-pay.  That was the only thing that I did for 45 minutes.  I sat and waited to be called and just as I was preparing to leave, I was told that the doctor was ready to see me.  I was steaming mad and relieved that I was going to be seen.  That bit of relief quickly turned to dismay and confusion when I met the doctor and sat with her to discuss my concerns.  First of all, she didn't look like anyone's doctor.  She looked like she had just returned from a hippy commune a la Woodstock completely outfitted with the black nail polish, long scraggly hair, red lipstick, and multiple necklaces around her neck.  Imagine Betty Davis as Baby Jane in Woodstock or that cult horror flick, House of a Thousand Corpses.  She was SCARY!  I managed to sit through this session pinching myself every so often to make sure that this wasn't a nightmare.  She scribbled down notes and told me that Oocyte Cryopreservation isn't really a viable option.  She said that it had been mostly unsuccessful with the positive results coming from Italy, but that it was my choice.  After that she directed me to the exam room and told me to get undressed and wait.  Like a fool, I did this.  I don't know what was going through my mind.  Everything in my body told me that this lady was a quack, but I decided to play out this scene.  I got undressed, jumped up on the exam table and waited.  After 15 minutes, I was done and I got dressed and walked out.  I only stopped at the reception desk to tell them how ticked off I was and asked for my co-pay back.   The receptionist checked and told me that I would have to call back later.  I was so very mad.  I had wasted so much time in the office of this freakish woman. 

When I returned to work, I started looking on-line for another in-network specialist.  I did find one, Dr. Khaled Zeitoun.  I called his office, made sure he was participating with my insurance plan, and made an appointment.  My appointment with Dr. Zeitoun was on a Saturday afternoon in the same hospital as my surgeon.  The office was packed.  I made my way to the reception desk and handed over my insurance card and filled out that standard new patient paperwork.  As I looked around, I noticed that there were quite a few Indian couples waiting to see Dr. Zeitoun.  I just assumed that he must have developed a good reputation within that community.  I had to wait approximately an hour to see the doctor and when I did, my appointment lasted no more than 10-minutes.  I had done a good bit of research and talked with other professionals so I was able to have an intelligent conversation with the doctor.  He told me that there was also the chance that my reproductive system wouldn't be affected by the chemotherapy treatments at all.  There are so many cases of women who undergo chemotherapy and are able to conceive without problems once they finish.  He asked me about my relationship status and whether or not I had discussed any of my reproductive concerns with a male partner.  I told him that I was in a relationship and he suggested that I consider having my boyfriend use his sperm to fertilize and freeze my eggs which would then be embryos.  He said that this would be my best option, but that we could still consider others.  He briefly reviewed the process and gave me a list of tests that I would need before we could do anything.  I took the list, paid my co-pay and left fairly certain that this would not be the option for me.  It was going to be a gamble, but one that I was willing to take. 

Now I had to plan.  I knew exactly what the deal was.  I knew three things:   I had cancer; I was going to be treated; I was going to recover.  This was my truth.  I told relatively few people about my situation at first.  I wasn't in denial, but I just preferred to keep it to myself and handle it my way as I usually do.  I did share it with my very close friend, Gidi.  I used to work for Gidi when I lived in Los Angeles.  He gave me a job because he wanted me around.  I mean, at first it may have been because he needed someone to do the work, but it became very obvious that he just liked having me around...and he admitted that:)  Gidi was very concerned for me and wanted me to contact his wife, Noga, immediately.  Noga is a friend as well and she and I have just as much affection for one another.  Noga's mother had been diagnosed and treated for Breast Cancer so Noga wanted to speak with me.  Her mother had received natural treatments in addition to her chemotherapy.  There is a nurse in Israel named Sara Ben Ari who provided natural treatments made of herbs, plants, trees, and other cures from the Earth.  I got Sara's information from Noga.  Before calling Sara, I had to review my health-care information. 
I am sure that you've heard the horror stories of so many Americans who have been railroaded by our health-care system.  Medical bills are one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States.  I knew that my plan covered chemotherapy treatments, but I had to check providers and just read more about the specifics of the coverage.  The good thing is that many service providers contact my health-care provider for pre-approval prior to the start of any procedure.  You would think that now that I had the second biopsy and the exact diagnosis that I would be ready to start treatment, right?  NOT!  There was still more "preliminary" testing that had to be done, plus I had to talk to my family, and oh yeah, I still had to WORK.  I had to have my heart function tested through a MUGA Scan and an Echo-cardiogram, and have a PET Scan to view the tumors in my body as well.  These tests can last about 2-2 1/2 hours each.  This was all prior to starting chemotherapy.  I gotta tell you that I could have been mistaken for a junkie for all of the track marks on my arms, but I endured needle after needle, injection after injection.  You never get used to the needle, but I just learned to anticipate it and accept it.
I did finally call Sara and spoke with her at length.  I had heard many things about chemotherapy treatments andt the side effects and I wanted to be as prepared as possible.  It was my goal to remain healthy.  That's right, I said it!  I was healthy in every way with the exception of the Hodgkin's and I was determined to stay that way.  I had provided Sara with my diagnosis and all of the associated paperwork with test results.  She came up with a prescription for a regimen that would involve all of her serums.  These would have to be sent over from Israel, but she assured me that it could be done.  She had other patients that were young like me and had the same diagnosis and were now living perfectly healthy lives.  Gidi told me that he could definitely arrange for someone coming to NY from Israel to bring me the medicine.  It all sounded good, but Sara's treatments do not come cheap.  I believe the tab was $6000.  I think that sounds about right.  I told Gidi this and he told me to let him know what I wanted to do.  I had to make decisions quickly because if I was going to take Sara's prescriptions, I needed to start prior to receiving chemotherapy.  
In addition to statying healthy, I also had to think about the possible reproductive issues.  It is widely known that chemotherapy can lead to infertility in women.  I am still young and well within child-bearing age so this was a real concern for me.  I am not married and haven't discussed starting a family with my boyfriend.  We have been in a long distance relationship for some years now, but haven't had "the talk."  The point is that I know that I want to have kids and it was important for me to know my options.  My primary care physician, not my Oncologist, told me to look into Oocyte Cryopreservation (the freezing of a woman's eggs).   This is technology in which a woman’s eggs (oocytes) are extracted, frozen and stored. Later, when she is ready to become pregnant, the eggs can be thawed, fertilized, and transferred to the uterus as embryos.  If you thought being single was totally acceptable and allowed you to flex your independence, you may think again after I tell you my story of run-ins with reproductive risk assessors.

I had mixed feelings about the mediport from the beginning.  My Oncologist had two assistants, both of whom advocated against the mediport.  Actually, they didn't want me to be bullied into a decision that I wasn't ready to make.  They told me to take my time and think about it.  I had to remember that my comfort level was more important than the doctor's preference.  The night before the second biopsy, I spoke to my girlfriend Kim.  Kim had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer about two years earlier and I looked to her for some information and possible guidance.  Although I wasn't with her while she was undergoing treatment, I valued her opinion very much.  I hadn't spoken to any other Cancer patients or known any young adults with Cancer.  Kim was the first and although we hadn't seen or spoken to one another with any regularity, she was there for me 100%.  Kim told me that she had opted not to have a mediport inserted.  She received her treatments intravenously without the use of the port.  After speaking with Kim, I decided that I would not have the mediport inserted and would rely on my veins instead.  I emailed my surgeon that night and told him that I would only be coming in for the second biopsy without the mediport insertion. 
When I checked into the hospital the following day, I had mentally prepared myself for another biopsy.  My surgeon came to check on me and asked me if I was certain that I didn't want the mediport inserted and I told him that I was.  He told me that I could always make another appointment if I decided that I did want to go with the mediport, but he warned me that it would be better to have it inserted prior to starting the chemotherapy treatment.  I was 80% certain that I didn't want the mediport.  After the second biopsy was complete I made a follow-up appointment with my Oncologist.  One of the first things he asked me was about the mediport.  He assumed that I had it inserted and I corrected him.  I had to explain why I didn't have it inserted.  I thought that it would be too cumbersome and I had good strong veins that could be used. The doctor explained the benefits of the mediport in detail.  He told me that anything could happen with my veins.  They could be too small, too weak, etc...I also had nurses that confirmed this as well, but they also told me that each person is different and what might work for one person may not work for me.  I changed my mind and decided to have the port inserted the next time.  I now had scars on both sides of my neck and my surgeon was very apologetic and felt guilty about adding a third scar to the mix. 
The second biopsy had been a necessary formality.  They needed to be sure of the diagnosis before setting me up for treatment.  The results were conclusive and in line with the results of the first biopsy and all of the other testing.  I was formally diagnosed with Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin's Lymphoma Stage 2E.  What this means is that I had cancer cells/tumors in two or more lymph node regions of my body.  The treatment would be 6 cycles of chemotherapy (twice a month for 6 months) and I would begin as soon as possible.  This regimen would start in the Fall and continue through Spring.  That was the plan.