In January of 2011 , at 25 , I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin 's lymphoma . I went through four months of chemotherapy and eight weeks of radiation . As of this writing , one and half years later , I 'm happy to be in remission , but many people think that is where the battle ends . For me , that 's where the real fight began . After all of the procedures were over and my hair finally grew back , the physical side of being a cancer patient was behind me . There was some relief in knowing that I 'd no longer have to spend hours over the toilet vomiting partially digested Jell-O because that was the only semi-solid food my body would tolerate . It was also refreshing to know that my appearance was slowly morphing from a powdery white , emaciated , bald , albino-looking bag of bones to a somewhat normal and healthy 25-year-old guy . But shortly after the treatment stopped , the psychological stress of being a cancer patient set in . Every month , since my last day of radiation , I go to my doctor for a battery of tests designed to determine whether my cancer has come back and whether the treatment caused any residual side effects . It 's a seven-day process that causes more mental anguish than any single person deserves . The week begins with blood tests and scans . Then , I go home and wait seven days for the doctor to tell me whether I 'm still in remission . The period in between the tests and the results is the worst . Every time my phone rings , my heart sinks . I wonder if it 's my oncologist calling to deliver bad news . Are we close to beating cancer ? My mind spends a lot of time analyzing the `` what if '' scenarios . What if it comes back ? Will I go through the treatment again ? What if the chemotherapy and radiation caused some other form of cancer or did it cause a genetic mutation that 's going to force me to be isolated from the human population and live in a clean room forever ? I try to run every possibility through my head . That way , I 'm be prepared for whatever news I 'm given . On the seventh day , I drive myself back to the cancer center , check in and wait for about two hours for my 15-minute appointment . ( My doctor has a problem with punctuality . ) In the waiting room , I sit with many other cancer patients . Some wear surgical masks to protect them from germs , while others are in wheelchairs . Their situations seem far worse than mine was , so I do n't complain . After reading 16 magazines cover-to-cover , mostly about how to prevent cancer , and several rounds of counting the floor tiles , the nurse calls my name . My heart , once again , sinks because I know I 'm about to learn my fate . I try to play it cool and act calm , but after she takes my vital signs , my cover is blown . `` Are you nervous , Mr. Curry ? Do n't be nervous , '' she says . That 's easy for her to say . She then peels the Velcro cuff off my arm and walks me to the examination room where I wait for the doctor . A few minutes later , he knocks on the door and then enters the room . He 's usually carrying an iPad and some papers . `` Good news , Mr. Curry , '' he says . `` The tests show no evidence of disease . '' A sense of relief comes over me and my sphincter muscles loosen . More lives being saved : Cancer death rates drop 20 % . Before I leave , the doctor hands me the paper with the test results . I treat it like a trophy or diploma . I never fold the document , and I save all of them . Before leaving , I make another appointment for next month , so I can then start the same process all over again . They tell me I 'll have to do this for the next five years . In between appointments , any cough , ache or pain forces me to wonder whether it 's cancer growing in my body . As a cancer survivor , it 's something I ca n't help but think of . As time goes on , I 'm getting better at managing the stress . The monthly exams are a small price to pay for staying alive . Some are n't so lucky .
James Curry was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin 's lymphoma in 2011 . He undergoes a battery of tests each month to see whether the cancer has returned . The process causes him mental anguish , he says . Comment: