Background

Beginning in February of 02, I began to suffer from a (very) persistent cough, making noise somewhat reminiscent of a trained seal.  I had a cold at the time and attributed the cough to the lingering effects of a respiratory infection.  For a long time that was my only symptom.

Later in March I began to feel a little odd, having occasional low-grade fevers that would never get bad, just make me feel run-down and tired.  Also around this time I began to experience night sweats, which I associated with the fevers.  I also had two swollen lymph nodes on either side where my shoulder met my neck, with the one on the right side being somewhat larger and occasionally painful when I tried to sleep.

My first visit to the doctor in KC was a little unsettling in retrospect.  I complained of some pretty classic Hodgkin's symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, swollen lymph nodes) and he diagnosed me with bronchitis.  I took a cycle of penicillin and had an allergic reaction, at which point he gave me prednizone to control the skin rash.  That was the only point during the initial stages of the disease that I received relief from the coughing and shortness of breath, because the steroids reduced the size of the mass that was growing in my chest (more on that later).

Another visit to the doctor, and he said that I had re-contracted the bronchitis with all the exact same symptoms.  I decided to give that doctor (Frank O'Connell, in case you go to him) a no-confidence vote and seek a second opinion.  Luckily my father is a physician in Springfield, MO so he made me an appointment with a pulmonologist.