Kathryn’s Story

Q: How were you first diagnosed, and what was that experience like?
Kathryn: “My diagnosis came completely out of the blue in February 2025. I didn’t feel ill — no classic symptoms. I had a bit of reflux and had lost some weight, but didn’t think anything of it. It was only because I happened to see a different GP that things moved forward. They decided to send me for more tests at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, and within a week, I’d had an endoscopy and scans. That’s when they found a 12cm mass in my inner intestine.”

Q: What were those early days after your diagnosis like?
Kathryn: “Those two weeks of waiting were honestly the worst. I went through endless blood tests and scans, just stuck in this awful place of not knowing. When I finally got the results, I was told I had a rare form of lymphoma — follicular lymphoma, but it was treatable. That was such a relief.”

Q: You were offered a clinical trial — can you tell us more about that?
Kathryn: “Yes, I was asked if I wanted to join the M22-003 clinical trial for follicular lymphoma because of my age group and the rare nature of my lymphoma. The trial was based at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and was testing two treatment approaches — one involving a new drug aimed at reducing side effects, and the other using the standard chemotherapy treatment. It was random who received which treatment. I got the standard chemo, and I only know of one other patient at Newcastle who received the new drug.”

Q: How has being in the M22-003 clinical trial affected your treatment experience?
Kathryn: “Even though I didn’t get the trial drug, being part of the study made a big difference. The monitoring was much closer, and I always knew someone was there for me 24/7.

Q: Where are you now in your treatment journey?
Kathryn: “I have now had my last cycle of chemotherapy and I am in remission. I’ve been told my positive mental health and efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle have contributed to this. I will now move on to maintenance treatment, which involves infusions every eight weeks for two years. It’s been tough, but I’m nearly through the hardest part.”

Q: You also write poetry. How has that helped you cope?
Kathryn: “When I couldn’t talk about how I was feeling, I could write.. I wrote this poem at the start of my journey and now hoping it will help others going through similar experiences.”